Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain good bacteria that are beneficial for our health. These helpful live bacteria and yeasts are essential for a healthy digestive system. These beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium can be found in a number of fermented foods that should be included in our diets to improve our digestion, immunity and resistance to allergic reactions. You can get your probiotics from both plant and dairy sources.

We have a large number of microorganisms residing in our gut and together this is called the gut flora. This mix of microorganisms like bacteria, yeasts and viruses, with the majority being bacteria, are found in the colon or the large intestine. The right balance of gut flora is essential for our health and studies have shown that a disruption of this delicate balance can make us seriously ill. In fact, conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer's and even depression have been linked to an imbalance of gut flora. Ingesting probiotics help right this balance and prevent our guts from being overrun by harmful microorganisms.

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One of the best ways to show how probiotics work is through its effect on antibiotic-induced diarrhoea. Antibiotic-induced diarrhoea is caused by the long-term use of antibiotics that kill off the good bacteria in the gut. This tilts the balance in favour of the harmful bacteria. When this happens, doctors prescribe probiotic supplements to cure the diarrhoea and restore the balance of the gut flora. Probiotics are generally well tolerated and considered safe for most people. When you just start taking probiotics you may suffer from some gas and abdominal discomfort but this is temporary and soon you will find that your digestion is far better than what it used to be.

Do note, however, that probiotics should be avoided by people who have weak immune systems like people with HIV, AIDS and certain other conditions, because they can get serious infections from probiotics.

Health benefits of probiotics

Probiotics are all the rage in the health food realm because they offer a range of health and nutrition benefits. Here is how adding probiotics to your diet will improve your health.

Protection against digestive diseases: In fact, not just diarrhoea, probiotics have been shown to be beneficial against digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, gas, bloating, constipation, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Studies have also shown that probiotics may work against Helicobacter pylori infections that cause ulcers and stomach cancer.

Bacteria like B. lactis, B. longum, S. cerevisiae and a combination of L. acidophilus, L. reuteri, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus and B. animalis offer relief against constipation. Bacteria like Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus help reduce stool frequency during a bout of diarrhoea caused by food poisoning and gastroenteritis. Patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome reported significant relief from IBS symptoms like bloating and abdominal pain when they were prescribed probiotics.

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