Probiotics: Can Bacteria Be Good for You?

Can bacteria actually be good for you? Healthy bacteria, referred to as probiotics, definitely can. Certain microbes, when taken live, and in the correct amounts, have been shown to be beneficial to health. In fact, there are so many health benefits, that it would be difficult to cite them all. Probiotics have been shown to help support the immune system, which is vital in fighting off infection and disease. A healthy immune system will identify and destroy most abnormal cells. Studies being done on infants in the first six months of life, indicate that exposure to good bacteria early in life, may lower allergy risks as a child ages. Probiotics may also enhance the gastrointestinal balance of microbes enough to reduce cancer. Favorable studies have been done on rats, but additional studies are needed to confirm this effect in humans.

Many people have become increasingly aware of the beneficial effect of probiotics when taken with antibiotics. Most antibiotics upset the delicate balance of microorganisms in the body, killing many of the good bacteria, along with the bad. This results in abnormal flora in the intestines, which may lead to diarrhea. Probiotics can help prevent this type of intestinal upset. Some physicians suggest taking a probiotic, during the course of prescribed antibiotics, and for several days afterward. Others feel that in order to eradicate the bad bacteria, and to build up the healthy bacteria, probiotics should be taken for a period of six months after an antibiotic regimen.

Many women have found the good bacteria to be very effective in preventing yeast infections. Probiotics have also been useful in the prevention of relapses of Clostridium Difficile, a dangerous and sometimes deadly colitis, caused by antibiotic overuse. Common traveler's diarrhea may be inhibited by certain types of good bacteria. Studies are also being done to see if probiotics may be helpful in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, lactose intolerance, and other forms of inflammatory bowel disease.