Probiotics: Friendly Bacteria

Probiotics can improve your digestion and boost your immune system, and can counter the unpleasant effects of antibiotics or a poor diet.

How many times has this happened? You are prescribed antibiotics for an injury or illness; you dutifully take your medication, and the original illness heals but then you are left with a yeast infection or several days of nausea or diarrhea. This is because antibiotics destroy not only the harmful bacteria that was making you sick or causing an infection, but also the naturally-occurring beneficial bacteria that aid in digestion and keep your body's pH balance steady.
Antibiotics aren’t the only thing that can upset your body’s pH level; stress and a poor diet – particularly too much sugar or refined carbohydrates – or a weakened immune system can also have an effect.
Given time (and, perhaps a change in diet and lifestyle), an otherwise healthy body will usually replenish these "good" bacteria on its own, but then you're left feeling miserable for several days, or even weeks. Fortunately, there’s a easy, natural way to help the process along and make things go a little more smoothly.

Repopulating the Friendly Bacteria

Many people are familiar with the home remedy of treating a yeast infection by eating yogurt, or by applying plain, unsweetened yogurt vaginally. This often works because yogurt – and other cultured dairy products, such as certain organic brands of cottage cheese – contain live, active bacteria (normally Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), which give yogurt its naturally sour taste and help the milk to thicken.
However, while consuming yogurt or kefir (a drinkable form of yogurt) might help correct a mild imbalance, the bacterial flora found in foods like this are not always numerous or potent enough to battle today's powerful antibiotics. The most effective course of action is to ingest these bacteria directly, in capsule, tablet, liquid or powder form.

Probiotics

Probiotics – which translates to "for life" – is an umbrella term given to any live microorganism that is beneficial to its host. Many of the ones available in stores are derived from lactic acid – which, despite the name, is not exclusively a dairy product. The most common forms are varieties of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These are scientific genus names, and on the package will often be shortened to a single letter, followed by the species name – i.e., L. acidophilus or B. bifidum.
Lactobacilli live mostly in the small intestine, and Bifidobacteria are found in the large intestine, or colon. There are differing opinions as to whether it is more beneficial to take a single strain (i.e. just L. acidophilus), a variety from a single genus (i.e., B. Longum and B. Bifidum) or a mixture of many different bacteria. Talk to your doctor or naturopath, ask friends what works for them, or ask for recommendations from the pharmacy or health food store. However, it is generally not recommended to take a single strain for extended periods of time.
Capsules are usually the easiest and most effective way of taking probiotics. Generally, higher doses of probiotics are needed when you first begin addressing a major imbalance; however, inundating your body with bacteria – even if they are good bacteria – might have the opposite intended effect and cause a little digestive upset. If you have a history of being sensitive to medications and supplements, it might be a good idea to start out with smaller amounts and slowly work your way up to the dose that you feel is most beneficial.
Most probiotics must be kept in the refrigerator to stay fresh and active (some companies offer freeze-dried varieties that are shelf-stable). When buying probiotics, always look for a date when the product was manufactured, since the bacteria lose their potency after four to ten months. Always read the label and take as directed; most probiotics are best taken in the morning on an empty stomach, but some products are specifically formulated to be taken with food, or at any time of day, etc. It is possible – and even recommended – to take probiotics while you are taking prescribed antibiotics, so long as you take them twelve hours apart (for example, take the probiotic in the morning and the antibiotic at night) so that each has the time to do its job: the antibiotics will be destroying all bacteria, including the bad ones that are making you sick, and the probiotic will help to reestablish populations of the good bacteria that keep you healthy.
Many people take probiotics on a daily or otherwise regular basis, for a wide variety of health reasons. A robust population of friendly bacteria keeps your digestive system happy, improves the nutritional properties of food and absorption of vitamins, and boosts your immune system to help prevent future infection and disease.