Research shows that stomach and colon cancers are linked to problems with microorganisms in the gut, and probiotics may be able to help.
Probiotics are the “good” bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract. They promote healthy digestion, immunity, and even mental health by repopulating the body with bacteria that protect the intestinal lining and fight off pathogens.
Cancer results during mitosis, when body cells duplicate. A mutation in the copying of its DNA causes a loss of control over the cell and its splitting, resulting in growth of a tumor.
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Research finds that consuming probiotics can decrease damage to DNA and decrease the rates of colorectal cancer,
Cancer Active reported.
The American Institute for Cancer Research noted studies that showed how taking probiotics reduced the risk of developing colon cancer, as well.
The strains of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, which are typically used in making yogurt, slowed and even
prevented cellular mutations, Livestrong reported, adding that colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the Western world.
Other studies linked cancer to less flora in the gut, according to Cancer Active. Patients with cancer showed to have more bacteria known to cause the disease, and less amounts of microorganisms that promote glucose metabolism.
While probiotics are only a treatment, not a cure, for cancer, other studies show that having plenty of prebiotics in the gut during chemotherapy may help the treatment in getting rid of the
cancer in the body, Natural News said.
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Some research suggests that probiotics may be helpful in treating other cancers, including
breast and bladder cancer, Eating Well noted.
Additionally, research of probiotics found that consuming the live cultures has few, if any, side effects and risk, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Probiotics can be found in fermented foods, some dairy products, and supplements.
Cancer Active recommended taking lactic acid bacteria, such as lactobacillus acidophilus because it can help change the acidity of the gut and stop the growth of bad bacteria. It also reduces DNA damages. Some lactic acid bacteria may even be able to destroy cancerous cells.
In addition to probiotics, the American Institute for Cancer Research recommended taking prebiotics — together with probiotics are known as synbiotics — in order to establish an environment that helps probiotics to thrive.
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