Probiotics for Men

May 3, 2021

Updated: March 8, 2022

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Testosterone and testicular health

A major concern for men as they age is declining testosterone levels. If you have low testosterone, you may experience one or more undesirable symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle loss, low sex drive, and reduced fertility. What may be surprising is that your gut microbiome - the colonies of beneficial bacteria that live in your intestines - actually has an influence on testicular health, fertility, and testosterone production.¹ A clinical trial with infertile men found that supplementation with the bacterial strain Lactobacillus paracaseiwas able to increase their serum testosterone levels and improve the number and health of sperm cells.² Other studies conducted on mice also found that feeding older male mice probiotics with Lactobacillus reuteri was able to return their testosterone to youthful levels and prevented age-related decrease in testicular size.³

Probiotic benefits for athletes

Having a balanced gut microbiome is good for your overall health and wellbeing. If you are an athlete, either professionally or recreationally, then probiotics could help you keep in top shape and even improve your athletic performance. Taking multi-species probiotic supplements can help prevent strain on your digestive tract during intense exercise,^4,5 and the lactobacillus species L. salivarius and L. casei can help you stave off colds and respiratory infections that have a habit of developing during endurance training.^6,7

Weight and cardiovascular health

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, so it is important that you maintain good heart health. As it turns out, a balanced gut microbiome is helpful not only for keeping your blood vessels strong and clear (reducing blood pressure, inflammation, and cholesterol),^8,9 but also for maintaining a healthy weight. Supplementing with the lactobacillus species L. salivarius and L. caseican improve your metabolism and help you feel more satiated after eating, which in turn can help you lose weight.^10-12

Cancer prevention

Cancer is another serious health concern, and the top three types that affect men are prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer, in that order. Your diet and intestinal health are particularly important for preventing colorectal cancer, as proper digestion lowers your risk while gut inflammation raises it. Your gut microbiome plays an integral role in this.¹³ Supplementing with various strains of beneficial lactobacillus species can be great for your digestive health, and has recently also been shown to support the prevention of colorectal cancer.^14,15

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REFERENCES

[1] Weng SL, Chiu CM, Lin FM, et al. Bacterial communities in semen from men of infertile couples: metagenomic sequencing reveals relationships of seminal microbiota to semen quality. PloS one. 2014;9(10):e110152.

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[2] Maretti C, Cavallini G. The association of a probiotic with a prebiotic (Flortec, Bracco) to improve the quality/quantity of spermatozoa in infertile patients with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia: a pilot study. Andrology. 2017;5(3):439-444.

[3] Poutahidis T, Springer A, Levkovich T, et al. Probiotic microbes sustain youthful serum testosterone levels and testicular size in aging mice. PloS one. 2014;9(1):e84877.

[4] Pyne DB, West NP, Cox AJ, Cripps AW. Probiotics supplementation for athletes - clinical and physiological effects. European journal of sport science. 2015;15(1):63-72.

[5] Lamprecht M, Bogner S, Schippinger G, et al. Probiotic supplementation affects markers of intestinal barrier, oxidation, and inflammation in trained men; a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2012;9(1):45.

[6] Gleeson M, Bishop NC, Oliveira M, Tauler P. Daily probiotic's (Lactobacillus casei Shirota) reduction of infection incidence in athletes. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. 2011;21(1):55-64.

[7] Gleeson M, Bishop NC, Oliveira M, McCauley T, Tauler P, Lawrence C. Effects of a Lactobacillus salivarius probiotic intervention on infection, cold symptom duration and severity, and mucosal immunity in endurance athletes. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. 2012;22(4):235-242.

[8] Ettinger G, MacDonald K, Reid G, Burton JP. The influence of the human microbiome and probiotics on cardiovascular health. Gut microbes. 2014;5(6):719-728.

[9] Wang L, Guo MJ, Gao Q, et al. The effects of probiotics on total cholesterol: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine. 2018;97(5):e9679.

[10] Naito E, Yoshida Y, Kunihiro S, et al. Effect of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota-fermented milk on metabolic abnormalities in obese prediabetic Japanese men: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Bioscience of microbiota, food and health. 2018;37(1):9-18.

[11] Sanchez M, Darimont C, Panahi S, et al. Effects of a Diet-Based Weight-Reducing Program with Probiotic Supplementation on Satiety Efficiency, Eating Behaviour Traits, and Psychosocial Behaviours in Obese Individuals. Nutrients. 2017;9(3).

[12] He M, Shi B. Gut microbiota as a potential target of metabolic syndrome: the role of probiotics and prebiotics. Cell & bioscience. 2017;7:54.

[13] Akin H, Tozun N. Diet, microbiota, and colorectal cancer. Journal of clinical gastroenterology. 2014;48 Suppl 1:S67-69.

[14] Zhong L, Zhang X, Covasa M. Emerging roles of lactic acid bacteria in protection against colorectal cancer. World journal of gastroenterology. 2014;20(24):7878-7886.

[15] Chang CW, Liu CY, Lee HC, et al. Lactobacillus casei Variety rhamnosus Probiotic Preventively Attenuates 5-Fluorouracil/Oxaliplatin-Induced Intestinal Injury in a Syngeneic Colorectal Cancer Model. Frontiers in microbiology. 2018;9:983.