Health & Medical Diseases & Conditions

What is Probiotics and Why Do You Need Them?

What is probiotics?

They are live microorganisms present in your body that are considered to be good bacteria. They create a balance in your digestive system. This article will tell you all you need to know about probiotics.

The human body is home to a lot of microorganisms. These microorganisms found in the body are called commensal microbes. Their presence in the body is normal and they do not have harmful effects. However, while there are good bacteria in the body, there are also bad bacteria present. The gastrointestinal tract is home to most of the commensal microbes. These microbes have the tendency to mutate and result into a pathogenic relationship with the human body wherein the corresponding results could be fatal to the host, which in this case, is your body.

So what is probiotics then? What benefits does the body get from them? First and foremost, probiotics effectively fight harmful bacteria enzymes to prevent the growth of carcinogens. They can also boost your body's immune system.

There are certain dietary habits that affect the balance of the good and harmful bacteria in the body; hence there is a need for probiotics supplements. Some of these are listed here:

If you drink too much alcohol, the natural probiotics in the body are killed, thus paving the way for the rapid growth of yeast and harmful bacteria.
  • When you are taking antibiotics to treat certain ailments, there is a tendency that even the good bacteria in the intestinal tract are killed.
  • An imbalance in the good and bad bacteria ratio in the body results in constipation and intestinal toxicity.

The benefits of probiotics are fast becoming known to a lot of people. Aside from being naturally present in the body, probiotics can also be present in fermented foods, most popular of these foods is yogurt. This is why yogurt is a good dietary supplement that helps improve your intestinal tract flora. Some of the health benefits of probiotics are the following:

Improves your digestive system
  1. Enhances the production of enzymes like lactase
  2. Improves the body's absorption and reaction to vitamins and minerals
  3. Improves your immune system, making your body more resistant to infections and diseases
  4. Kills harmful parasites and viruses
  5. Inhibits the growth of bad bacteria in the body
  6. Enhances the production of lactic acid that regulates the pH value of the intestine and the female genitalia to prevent the growth of yeasts

Probiotics are known to help treat some of the most common medical conditions:

Vaginal infection
  1. Yeast infection
  2. Diarrhea
  3. Lactose intolerance
  4. Irritable bowel syndrome
  5. Colon cancer
  6. Urinary tract infection, mostly in women

Aside from foods that contain probiotics, doctors also recommend dietary supplements that contain probiotics. When choosing probiotics supplements, you should consult your doctor on what is the best for you to take. The supplements that are out in the market today have varying levels of potency and contain different species of bacteria. Your doctor will be able to help you choose what is best for you.

Hope that this article answers your question, what is probiotics.


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