Probiotics: The Friendly Bacteria
Author: Shannon Miller
There has been a growing interest in bacteria known as probiotics.
Probiotics have quite a following because of the potential health benefits that they may have. So, appropriately, probiotics have been nicknamed friendly bacteria.
These friendly bacteria can be found in food items, such as:
- Yogurt
- Fermented and un-fermented milk
- Miso
- Tempeh
- Some juices and soy beverages.
Probiotics are also available in dietary supplements – capsule, powder, and tablet forms.
Research on the health benefits of probiotics is in the early stages. But there are some uses for probiotics for which preliminary research suggests a reason to be hopeful…
- To treat diarrhea
- To prevent and treat infections of the urinary tract or female genital tract
- To treat irritable bowel syndrome
- To reduce recurrence of bladder cancer
- To shorten how long an intestinal infection lasts that is caused by a bacterium called Clostridium difficile
- To prevent and treat pouchitis (condition that can follow surgery to remove the colon)
- To prevent and manage atopic dermatitis (i.e. eczema) in children