What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the gut. The human digestive system normally contains around 400 types of probiotic bacteria that help reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy digestive system.  Lactic acid bacteria are the largest group of probiotic bacteria in the intestine, of which Lactobacillus acidophilus, often found in yogurts with live cultures, is the best known.

Ok, so now for some facts.  The root of the word probiotic comes from the Greek word pro, meaning "promoting" and biotic, meaning "life."  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines probiotics as "live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host."  Probiotics have been with us since birth!  When you are born, and travel through the birth canal, you pick up these beneficial bacteria from you mother.  If delivered through Cesarean section the infant can miss out on these vital microflora and research has shown this can lead to allergies, a less optimal immune system, and lower levels of gut microflora.

A healthy digestive tract filters out and eliminates harmful bacteria, toxins, chemicals, and other waste products. Of course, it also takes in the things that our body needs, including nutrients from food and water, aiding the delivery of these to the cells where they are needed.

When a person takes antibiotics, both the harmful bacteria and the beneficial bacteria are killed. A reduction of beneficial bacteria can lead to digestive problems, such as diarrhea, yeast infections and urinary tract infections.

A decrease in beneficial bacteria can also lead to other infections, like vaginal yeast and urinary tract infections, and symptoms such as diarrhea from intestinal illnesses.

Bear in mind that almost 80% of your immune system actually lives in your gut, so it naturally follows that probiotics can have a beneficial effect on both the health of your GI tract and your overall health as too. It’s all about balance!  The balance of good bacteria and bad bacteria.  Things like medications, diet, diseases, and your environment can upset that balance. And probiotics help to redress that balance.

But are probiotics safe?  Most probiotics are similar to the live cultures already in a person's digestive tract. Probiotics have been used for centuries in some form or other, such as in fermented foods.   And unless you are lactose intolerant, they don’t have a detrimental effect on the body.

What different probiotics are there?  Up until the 1960s, only small handful of probiotics had been identified; clostridia, lactobacilli, enterococci, and Escherichia coli. Since then, due to advanced scientific techniques, many more have been discovered:

Lactobacillus

There are more than 50 species of lactobacilli. They are naturally found in the digestive, urinary, and genital systems. Foods that are fermented, like yogurt, and dietary supplements also contain these bacteria. Lactobacillushas been used for treating and preventing a wide variety of diseases and conditions.

Bifidobacteria

There are approximately 30 species of bifidobacteria. The make up approximately 90% of the healthy bacteria in the colon. They appear in the intestinal tract within days of birth.

Saccharomyces boulardii

This is also known as S. boulardii and is the only yeast probiotic.

Enterococcus faecium

This is normally found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals.