Whether you drank some sketchy water on vacation, battle irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or caught a nasty stomach bug, you’ve likely felt the urgent call of gastrointestinal distress before. Although typically not life-threatening for adults in the developed world, loose, watery stool can be unpleasant and inconvenient. Diarrhea will generally clear up within a few days, but there are plenty of natural remedies to combat the situation and even prevent it in the first place. Besides the tried-and-true rest-and-rehydrate method, two supplements—probiotics and glutamine—can bolster the immune system and offer some much-needed relief. If you’ve got the runs, you might want to run out and grab these supplements.
Popping a probiotic in times of gastrointestinal distress can reduce the severity and duration of diarrhea symptoms. Probiotic supplements contain healthy bacteria to support the microbiome, a collection of trillions of bacteria that live in our gut. The microbiome is intricately connected with digestive health and the immune system. In fact 70 to 80 percent of the immune system lives in the gut alongside the microbiota. Scientists believe that the immune system and the bacteria that live in the gut “co-evolved” to communicate and support one another. “Good” bacteria helps stimulate and “prime” the immune system to keep it in tiptop fighting shape against “bad” bacteria that can make us sick. In addition, some “good” bacteria produce toxins to fight off “bad” bacteria themselves. So a healthy gut equals a healthy and strong immune system.
Taking antibiotics, stress, diet, infections, and many other factors can change the makeup of the microbiome and create an imbalance between good and bad bacteria, weakening the immune system. In addition, diarrhea can flush good bacteria out with it, making it even harder to fight off whatever may be causing your digestive discomfort. […]
