What are Probiotics?

I am sure that over the past couple of years you have heard about probiotics and how important they are.  But what are they and how do they differ from antibiotics?  Simply stated, probiotics are living organisms (bacteria or yeast) that are beneficial to the body; they are most often called “the good or friendly bacteria.”  Antibiotics, on the other hand, are “bad bacteria” that are used to destroy all bacteria in the body, both good and bad.  Probiotics are similar to the microorganisms found in the human gut and they attach to the wall of the intestine and fight the bad bacteria, which can increase with the use of antibiotics, a poor diet, stress or infection.¹

 

Probiotics are available through foods (i.e. yogurt, cottage cheese, sauerkraut, etc.) and in dietary supplements.   When purchasing food with probiotics, look for the words, “live active cultures or lactobacillus, acidophilus and/or bifidus in the ingredients or make sure that the dietary supplements contain 10 million species from the lactobacillus or bifidobacteria family per dose.¹

 

Studies have shown that probiotics are good for a number of things, which are listed in Table 1.  To learn more, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has an excellent report that focuses on the basics of probiotics.²

 

What are Probiotics Used For?
Digesting Food	Absorbing nutrients
Boosting the immune system to fight infections	Reducing the length of intestinal infections
Treating irritable bowel syndrome	Treating diarrhea
Preventing/treating infections of the urinary or reproductive systems	Preventing and managing eczema in children

Table 1. Benefits of Probiotics

 

¹ Glassman, Keri.  “Probiotics.”  Your Health August 2007.

²”Introduction to Probiotics.” National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  Jan 9, 2009. Jan 17, 2009 <http://nccam.nih.gov/health/probiotics/#uses>.