At one time the field of probiotics was considered to be somewhere in the realm of “complementary” and “alternative” medicine. But in the last five years, solid medical research has been published confirming the importance of probiotics in regulating gastrointestinal functions and maintaining a healthy digestive system. Clinical studies now bear out the benefits of probiotics for inflammatory bowel disorders, antibiotic related diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive disorders.
In children, allergic reactions causing asthma, eczema and rhinitis have been linked to reduced colonies of beneficial bifidobacteria and lactobacilli microorganisms and research suggests that probiotics also serve to improve these conditions.
Needless to say, probiotics are increasingly recognized as a therapeutic option in mainstream medicine.
What are Probiotics?
The word “probiotic” is actually from the Greek, meaning, “for life.” The Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations/World Health Organization define probiotics as, “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer health benefits on the host.”
We normally associate the word “bacteria” with an infection. However, our gastrointestinal tract is home to a hundred trillion bacteria that reside mainly in the colon or large intestines and medical research has discovered that these bacteria perform many functions that are important in maintaining both our general health and intestinal health.
Probiotics are supplements that contain beneficial or ‘good’ bacteria that would normally reside in a healthy intestinal tract and serve to promote healthy intestinal function. These supplements produce substances that create a beneficial barrier against harmful bacteria and fight off the invasion of harmful bacteria that we ingest that can cause gas, bloating and general intestinal distress.
In addition, the good bacteria work with the cells in the intestinal lining to boost our immunity.
Probiotics counteract the loss of good bacteria that occurs as a result of an unhealthy diet, excess alcohol, use of antibiotics, acid suppressing medications, and NSAIDS (ibuprofen type medications) that can tip the balance in favor of the harmful bacteria.
Antibiotics can cure bacterial infections, but in the process also kill the good intestinal bacteria.
