Helpful Bacteria
The human body is host to trillions of microorganisms, which include bacteria and fungi. While some of these microorganisms are harmful or neutral to human health, others are beneficial. Probiotics can boost these benefits by providing additional microorganisms via food or dietary supplements. The most common probiotics consist of bacteria from two groups, Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium.
How Probiotics Help
Exactly how probiotics function in the body is still unclear. According to Sharon Orrange, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California, work by suppressing the growth or invasion of harmful bacteria, improving the functioning of our intestinal barrier, boosting the immune system or changing one's perception of pain in the gut.
Pros of Probiotics
Do probiotics work? Perhaps. Probiotics appear helpful for specific conditions and situations, such as lactose intolerance, Crohn's disease, diarrhea, vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract infections and irritable bowel syndrome.
Probiotics might also be helpful in reducing the recurrence of bladder cancer, shortening the duration of intestinal infections, promoting health and healing following colon surgery and preventing the occurrence of eczema in children.
Cons of Probiotics
Despite these findings, the National Institutes of Health reports that it's yet to be determined what dosage of microorganisms a probiotic treatment should have, what microbial strains a probiotic treatment should consist of or if probiotics are more effective when eaten as food (yogurt, for example) or taken as a supplement. Additionally, dosages will likely vary from person to person and from condition to condition.
Side effects, if any, are usually mild (gas or bloating), although they can be more serious. Probiotics might increase the risk of infection, overstimulate the immune system or create unhealthy metabolic activities or gene transfer (insertion of genetic material into a cell).
"If you're in generally good health, probiotic products shouldn't do any harm," writes Elisa Zied, RD, American Dietetic Association. But Zeid warns that a probiotic regimen should be discussed with a doctor before beginning, especially for infants, children and those with compromised immune systems.
Tags: immune system, probiotic treatment, probiotic treatment should, Probiotics might, treatment should