Probiotics
Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the intestines. The normal human digestive tract contains about 400 types of probiotic bacteria that reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy digestive system. The largest group of probiotic bacteria in the intestine is lactic acid bacteria, of which Lactobacillus acidophilus, found in yogurt, is the best known. Yeast is also a probiotic substance. Probiotics are also available as dietary supplements. It has been suggested that probiotics be used to treat problems in the stomach and intestines. But only certain types of bacteria or yeast (called strains) have been shown to work in the digestive tract. It still needs to be proven which probiotics (alone or in combination) work to treat diseases. At this point, even the strains of probiotics that have been proven to work for a specific disease are not widely available.
We share a complicated relationship with bacteria. It exists on our skin, in our intestinal tract, urinary tract, among other places. Too much bacteria can make us very ill, but too little can also make us more vulnerable to illness. Probiotics, which are bacteria naturally occurring in, or added to food, can actually be of some benefit when consumed. Though most natural food stores will claim a number of beneficial effects of eating probiotics, only a few of these effects have been proven clinically. Most of the beneficial effects of probiotics relate to those who are taking antibiotics. Antibiotics are fantastic for killing off germs that are making us sick. But they do not discriminate between “bad” germs, and the “good germs” like those contained in probiotics. As a result, the delicate balance of “good” bacteria in our bodies can be disturbed. Antibiotic use has been indicated in causing yeast infections, jock itch, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and urinary tract infections. One of the theories behind probiotics is...