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Originally Posted by Canada 02
how does fiber, lactobacillus and yeast (or other pre- and pro-biotics) affect your immune system so that you don't get bacterial and viral infections?
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In reality, the expense of buying these products puts you in a "pot committed" frame of mind to favour the placebo response
It is true that probiotics play a role in overall functioning of the immune system (it is far to simple to say "strengthening an immune system" in something this complex). There's a whole burgeoning field of study on this. There are between 500 and 1000 species of bacteria in the gut and all kinds of different factors change which strains of each species exist where and the size of the populations. There's on average anywhere between two and six pounds of bacteria in and on you. There's more bacteria than you have cells that make up your body. They fluctuate mostly based on the food you eat, but so many other things affect it, it becomes virtually impossible to predict. Also, saying "probiotics are healthy" is akin to saying "drugs are good for you": some are healthy, some are unhealthy, and most do nothing. They don't all affect the same things the same way. Long story short, most of what you buy
especially in an expensive health food store is just good marketing. The studies, if any, are largely done by the manufacturer of the product and published in a predatory journal
We know changes in your gut biome can affect skin, mood, immunity, and other systems. We do not know how to change it. This is where the marketing comes in. Does taking a certain strain of one species positively affect any one system? Generally, we don't know. There are some studies showing some specific benefits with certain strains, but they aren't likely transferable to other strains and the studies small and of poor methodology.