Probiotics are live organisms that can be found in a variety of foods and can be taken alone as supplements as well. Probiotics can consist of bacteria, yeasts or viruses, says the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or NCCAM, and resemble the naturally occurring bacteria found in the intestines. These probiotics can have beneficial effects on the human body and have been used to improve health.
Lactobacilli
Species of lactobacilli are typically found in fermented foods and dairy products like yogurt. There are three types of lactobacilli, including Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus sporogenes. According to the Environmental Illness Resource, benefits that Lactobacilli can provide include preventing and treating diarrhea caused by antibiotics; prevention of vaginal and urinary tract infections; prevention of overgrowth of bacteria like H.pylori, salmonella and E.coli; and help with the digestion of lactose products. In addition to these benefits, L.sporogenes has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels, which is the "bad" cholesterol, and raise HDL cholesterol levels, making it a supplement to watch for helping to treat high cholesterol and heart disease.
Bifidobacteria
Bifidobacteria are the most common kind of intestinal bacteria found in infants, says Probiotics-Lovethatbug.com; as individuals get older, the level of the bacteria decreases, and they can be naturally found in the vagina as well as the intestines. Common species found in humans of this bacteria include Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifididobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum. The group of bifidobacteria contains several kinds of probiotics, all of which are beneficial. These probiotics are said to help protect the intestinal lining; produce acids to keep the pH in the intestine balanced; decreases side effects of antibiotics; regular bowel movements and make B-complex vitamins, according to the Environmental Illness Resource.
Streptococcus Thermophilus
According to probiotic.org, Streptococcus thermophilus is typically used as a starter culture for dairy foods other than yogurt, like mozzarella cheese, and is considered the most important lactic acid bacteria for commercial purposes.The only probiotic in the Streptococcus group is Streptococcus thermophilus. This bacteria is said to help an individual with malnutrition due to fasting, reduce intestinal atrophy from short-term fasting, and possesses anti-oxidant properties, says the Environmental Illness Resource Center. This probiotic also helps stop nitrates from changing into nitrates that can cause cancer and has shown to help protect the intestines from mucositis during chemotherapy treatment, says probiotic.org.
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