What Are Probiotics?

Do Probiotics Work?

"Probiotics" is a term that generally refers to dietary supplements or foods that are believed to similar to normally beneficial bacteria and organisms found in your body, especially in the intestines and colon.

Not all the bacteria and micro-organisms in your digestive tract and colon are harmful. In fact, many are helpful and even necessary to good health.

Do probiotics work? Medical experts agree that probiotic supplements are not a necessary part of a healthy diet, but they may be helpful in some cases.

Probiotics can be found naturally in such foods as yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, miso, and some juices and soy drinks.

There is a growing public and scientific interest in probiotics in recent years, and researchers are investigating them for a number of possible uses. There is encouraging probiotics research that suggests they may:

• Help treat diarrhea, especially following treatment with certain antibiotics
• Prevent and treat inflammation following colon surgery
• Prevent and treat vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract or bladder infections
• Reduce bladder cancer recurrence
• Shorten the duration of intestinal infections
• Treat IBS or irritable bowel syndrome

There's even some evidence probiotics may help reduce the occurrence of childhood eczema.

Probiotics research done in 2005 in Sweden found that a group of employees who were given certain probiotics missed less work due to respiratory or gastrointestinal illness than other employees.

While ongoing probiotics research continues to be positive, it's still a good idea to consult your doctor before taking any dietary or herbal supplement in an effort to improve colon health. 

We have a product review available for three of the more popular probiotic products. Click on Jarrow Formulas Jarro-dophilus EPS review, Culturelle W/lactobacillus GG, 30-Count Package and Sedona Labs Iflora Multi-Probiotic Formula, Capsules, 60-Count to read them.