How
Do Probiotics Work? Probiotic Bacteria Have
a Range of Benefits
Literally speaking,
“probiotic” is a word meaning “for life.”
In scientific terms, probiotic organisms are live, single-celled,
microscopic bacteria. These probiotic bacteria are consumed and/or
used in the human body for their health benefits. One of the most
widely known probiotic bacterial cultures is called Lactobacillus
acidophilus, or L. acidophilus. Probiotic
acidophilus is commonly found in the human digestive tract,
vagina, and many dairy products (especially yogurt). In the past
decade, there has been extensive research about probiotic organisms
and their potential health benefits, leading many health-conscious
consumers to ask, “How do probiotics work?”
Probiotic cultures
in fermented dairy products have been touted for their health benefits
for centuries, but scientific evidence of probiotic benefits has
emerged only in the last 10 to 20 years. Probiotic organisms do
most of their good work in the human gastrointestinal tract. All
human beings have an enormous number of bacterial microbes inside
the body, particularly in the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and
vaginal tract. In fact, scientists believe that the human body contains
more bacteria than actual human cells. Among the 100,000,000,000,000
bacterial cells in the human body are about 1,000 different species
of bacteria. Some bacteria play a vital role in human health, while
others have a negative impact on health. One main role of probiotic,
or friendly, bacteria is to create a barrier that prevents damaging
bacteria and viruses from multiplying inside the body. Thus, the
simplest answer to the question, “How do probiotics work?”
is that probiotic organisms are like microscopic defenders which
protect your body from invading organisms.
This type of defense
is not the only function of how probiotic bacteria work to maintain
health in the body. Probiotics have other functions, as well, such
as: (1) breaking down food for digestion, (2) producing the lactase
enzyme (which helps digest milk sugar), (3) producing vitamins in
the intestinal tract, and (4) changing the acidic environment in
the intestine to create less desirable conditions for harmful organisms.
There are many
ongoing studies to investigate how probiotic bacteria work to alleviate
illness and strengthen the body. Some of the ways probiotics appear
to improve health include:
- Alleviating lactose intolerance
- Reducing and preventing diarrhea
- Defending against infections
- Enhancing the immune system
- Reducing inflammation
- Preventing allergic reactions
- Reducing chronic
constipation
Surprisingly, probiotics
are even being studied for their potential in treating cancer, heart
disease, and kidney stones. It appears the question, “How
do probiotics work?” has many answers yet to be discovered.
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