6 Reasons Why All Men Should Take a Probiotic Supplement

“Investing in our health is the most important investment we will ever make. “

There are many supplements on the market that claim to support and boost male health and hormones but it’s impossible to say definitively which ones are actually effective. 

The best natural male enhancement supplements are ones that take a holistic approach.

It’s no secret that a good probiotic can greatly benefit your digestive system. But, new research now demonstrates that probiotics impact much more than just digestion.

Each person’s digestive system contains roughly 100 million bacteria, some good and some bad. These bacteria are collectively known as the gut microbiome. More and more studies are finding evidence that this vast gut microbiome has a complex, influential relationship with many systems in the body including everything from the immune system to sleep patterns, brain function, hormone regulation and much more.

Probiotic supplements are freeze-dried bacteria taken to help transform the composition of bacteria in the microbiome, both in quality and quantity. A high quality probiotic can be beneficial to both men and women, but it’s important to note that probiotics do not act the same in women as they do in men. 

These potent supplements work to decrease inflammation and fight bad bacteria. They increase and encourage the growth of good bacteria in the digestive system, restoring or even enhancing your body’s normal functions.

Regulating gut bacteria composition can have amazing effects within the male body. These are just a few of those benefits.

1. Probiotics Raise Testosterone Levels

Testosterone is an important hormone in all people but especially in men. Testosterone levels can be measured through simple blood tests and “normal” levels are generally between 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) (1). With age, many men report having lower testosterone levels. This can result in lower libido, reduced sexual function, poor physical performance, low energy levels, decreased muscle mass and more.

A study with animal test subjects reported increased testosterone levels and larger testical size in animals that were given probiotics in their drinking water compared to their counterparts (2). More recent research with human subjects indicates that those with higher testosterone levels also happen to have more microbiome probiotic diversity in their gut matter (3).

Although the topic still requires more research, low testosterone is a debilitating problem that affects many men. Taking a probiotic is a great natural alternative to combat this issue. 

2. Probiotics Support Prostate Health

The prostate is a small gland that sits just below the bladder in males. It sits just around the urethra, producing some of the fluid in semen including enzymes and nutrients that play a key role in fertility and sperm viability. Behind skin cancer, prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer in males in the United States according to the American Cancer Society (9). Men over the age of 55 are at an increased risk of developing prostate cancer, which can be life-threatening. Other conditions of the prostate, including prostatitis, can cause very uncomfortable symptoms. A growing body of research suggests that probiotic use and having a diverse, robust microbiome may protect against some of the pathogens that can cause or worsen prostate inflammation (5).

3. Probiotics Increase Sperm Count

There are a number of factors including age and lifestyle choices that impact sperm count and sperm quality in males. A normal sperm count ranges from 15 million sperm to more than 200 million sperm per milliliter (mL) of semen. Anything less than 15 million sperm per mL is considered low and can contribute to fertility problems. Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum are two notable probiotic strains researchers associate with increased sperm count and motility (6, 7).

4. Probiotics Boost Your Immune Response

Allergies are in part a result of an overactive immune system that responds to stimuli that is not necessarily harmful, keeping your immune system in check can lead to a decrease in unpleasant seasonal allergy symptoms. An impaired immune system is another source of pain for many people.

The human digestive system is home to 70% of the immune system(8)! So it’s not shocking that people report less sick days and more energy when they have a healthy balanced microbiome.

5. Probiotics Enhance Mental Health & Mood

Multiple studies cite a ‘gut-brain connection’ meaning the composition of your gut microbiome relates to the function of your brain. The evidence is clear that probiotics are no replacement for psychiatric treatment in patients with depressive disorder or anxiety, but multiple studies mention compelling data that probiotics have an overall positive effect on mood in some people with depression or anxiety (10, 11, 12). Another study found that after 6 weeks of probiotic use, patients with chronic fatigue, chronic pain and chronic stress reported improvement on sleep quality (13). 

6. Probiotics Improve Digestion

The most obvious benefit of probiotics that people report is the drastic improvement in digestive health and stomach problems including:

• Increased nutrient and protein absorption (14)
• Decreased diarrhea and constipation (15)
• Improvement with lactose intolerance (16)
• Decreased weight gain and fluctuations (17)

Probiotics are a safe, effective way to combat these digestive issues that can be so debilitating while trying to do the things you want to do.

 

More on staying healthy:

Finding the right probiotic or supplement can help you achieve optimal health but to get the most out of your investment and give these supplements the best shot to work, it’s important to remember the basics of living a healthy lifestyle.

Exercise – Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.

Eat Healthy – Eat a balanced, heart-healthy diet and stay hydrated. Avoid fast food and alcohol.

Reduce Stress – Reduce stress in your life by meditating and practicing mindfulness. Try to get a full night’s sleep if possible.

What to look for in a probiotic supplement

• Strain Diversity. Look for a probiotic supplement that has a high strain diversity (10 or more strains).

Specialized probiotic strains that may enhance male reproductive health:

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• Bacillus subtilis
• Bifidobacterium lactis
• Saccharomyces boulardii
• Lactobacillus salivarius

• CFU count (colony forming units) is the unit of measurement used to estimate the concentration of viable microorganisms. Probiotics with higher numbers of CFUs will work more quickly and efficiently. The bacteria in your stomach only have a certain amount of food and resources to survive, so the more good bacteria you have in your stomach, the faster it will crowd out harmful bacteria.
• cGMP Certified Facility. When using any supplement, it’s important to ensure it was manufactured in a cGMP (current good manufacturing practice) certified facility. These guidelines are created by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States (FDA) and are the gold standard of manufacturing practices. This ensures that the supplements you are consuming were created in a clean, safe environment.
• Includes a prebiotic. Prebiotics are the fuel for probiotics. There are speciality prebiotic supplements but any probiotic worth its salt will include some type of prebiotic to give the probiotics in the supplement the best possible fuel to work. 
• Enteric coated capsule. If your probiotic is in an enteric coated capsule, this is an easy way to make sure the probiotics will survive while passing through the highly acidic stomach environment and into the intestines where they need to go.
• No major allergens, synthetics or additives. This one is a given. Make sure any supplement you ingest is free of synthetic or unnecessary additives. Other things to watch for in supplements is major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybean- according to the FDA), some companies will add these things to their products to save money, which doesn’t make some products friendly for all diet types. 

 

Sources:

1. https://www.webmd.com/men/features/keep-testosterone-in-balance
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24392159/
3. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/understanding-how-testosterone-affects-men
4. https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-facts/cancer-facts-for-men.html
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33346320/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28343402/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28245352/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/
9. https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-facts/cancer-facts-for-men.html
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6595633/
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5641835/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6882070/
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6445894/
14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29196920/
15. https://www.bmj.com/content/335/7610/80
16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29425071/
17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32258541/