At Paracelsus Recovery, our holistic treatment model features probiotic therapies. The aim of probiotic therapies is to restore the balance of microbiota in the gut with a view to treating various conditions and enhancing overall health.

Probiotic therapies involve the use of living microorganisms, usually bacteria or yeasts, to treat specific conditions and optimise health. The goal of probiotic therapies is to restore or enhance the balance of the microbiota in the gut. The quota of “good” or “friendly” bacteria, which are beneficial to health, can be disrupted by factors such as antibiotics, illness, poor diet, stress and various other environmental and lifestyle factors. Probiotics can be taken as either dietary supplements containing specific probiotic strains or as functional foods such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh or other fermented foods enriched with probiotics. Taking probiotics helps to colonise your gut with good microorganisms. Probiotics are often taken in conjunction with prebiotics, which are like “fertilisers” for gut bacteria, feeding and promoting the growth of beneficial microbes. 

There is a growing and increasingly promising body of research into probiotic therapies. Having an optimal balance of gut bacteria has been linked to various health benefits such as: weight loss, improved digestion, enhanced immune function, healthier skin, reduced inflammation and a lower risk of certain diseases. Due to such benefits, probiotic therapies can help treat a wide range of health conditions. For example, as an imbalanced gut microbiome is strongly correlated with certain mental health conditions, such as depression, probiotic therapy is an integral part of treatment. By influencing gut microbiota, which play a role in regulating neurotransmitters, inflammation and overall brain function, probiotic therapies may help with mental health issues such as anxiety and stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) alongside depression. The efficacy of probiotics in mental health treatment is largely due to their effects on the gut-brain axis. This axis refers to the bidirectional communication network between the gut microbiota and the brain, mediated by the nervous system, immune system and biochemical signalling pathways.

At Paracelsus Recovery, probiotic therapy is a key element of our comprehensive and all-encompassing treatment programmes. As part of our functional medicine approach, probiotics are one of the tools we use to treat the root causes of your condition by restoring your biochemistry to an optimal state. Whenever our nutritional therapists deem it as beneficial, probiotics will be included in your programme. Probiotic therapies are an integral part of our treatment plans. However they are just one piece of the puzzle. In all cases, probiotic therapy should not be considered a standalone treatment; it is a complementary approach. Effectively addressing the multiple root causes of mental health and addiction issues requires a holistic, integrative approach to treatment.