NutritionDoc

Trillions of beneficial bacteria already reside in our intestines, where they assist in digesting food and fighting off harmful bacteria. But illnesses and medications, such as antibiotics, can reduce their numbers, allowing the harmful to outnumber the helpful.  When this happens, taking a probiotic can help tip the scales back in a healthy direction.

Probiotics show most promise in digestive disorders, helping to prevent and treat diarrhea in particular. Recently, an Irish study found that people with irritable bowel syndrome who were given daily doses of a probiotic laced malted milk drink had less abdominal pain, bloating and constipation than a similar group taking a placebo.

Probiotic bacteria may also have a role in treating allergies, such as atopic eczema. When kids were given probiotic supplements for 6 weeks, their eczema symptoms were significantly reduced compared to those of a control group. The success of probiotic therapy in the treatment of bacterial vaginitis is also well documented.

Probiotics will not cure everything that ails you. While many people use them to treat Crohn's disease, ulcers, high cholesterol, lactose intolerance and constipation, there are not yet enough data to make firm recommendations.

If you want to give the beneficial bugs a try, be careful of using supplements, which currently are not closely regulated and don't always deliver what they promise. " 1/3 of the supplements we tested had less than 1 % of what was promised on the label", reports Tod Cooperman, MD, president of Consumer Lab.com - an independent organization that has tested the probiotic contents of 25 products.

Try to get your probiotics from foods, especially those in the dairy case. Dairy food is an almost perfect vehicle for delivering probiotics. Compounds in products like yogurt and kefir shield probiotic bacteria from acid and bile as they travel through the digestive system. And they also provide bacteria with compounds that help them thrive. Yogurt is a potent source of friendly bacteria such as Lactobacillus, outranking many supplements. When buying, check the ingredient label for the words "live and active cultures" or look for the "Live & Active Cultures" seal from the National Yogurt Association, which ensures a minimum of 100 million live cultures per gram.

Nondairy sources of probiotics, such as tempeh, miso, and kimchi, also provide beneficial bacteria.

Whatever you choose, check the expiration date to ensure it is fresh.

As researchers throughout the world continue to test out the benefits of probiotics, there is no reason to wait for their findings to dig into probiotic rich foods now.

If you would like the list of "good" probiotics tested by ConsumerLab.com just send me an email and I will be happy to get the list to you ( Paula and Kathy).