"Good" bacteria, often referred to as probiotics, are usually present in food items like yogurt or available as supplements. According to MayoClinic.com, probiotics help in regulating the digestive tract and facilitating regular bowel movements. They can also help keep bacterial flora within the body balanced, which helps to keep infections at bay, especially following a course of antibiotics. There are several kinds of "good" bacterium.
Lactobacilli
Lactobacilli bacteria are lactic acid microorganisms usually found in yogurt. A 2005 study entitled "The Complete Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus bulgaricus Reveals Extensive and Ongoing Reductive Evolution," conducted by M. van de Guchte et al., and published in the "Procedures of the National Academy of Science," found that Lactobacilli, the bulgaricus species in particular, was an ineffective immunomodulator, which helped digest lactose in lactose-intolerant people. It survived though the entirety of the intestinal pathways attributing to its digestive-enhancing and gut stimulating abilities.
Bifidobacterium
Bifidobacterium is naturally present in the intestinal tract. This bacterial flora helps to regulate food allergy susceptibility, according to the book "Probiotics 3" by R. Fuller and Gabriela Perdigon. Bifidobacterium effectively suppressed an infection caused by a adverse bacterial strain, called Helicobacter pylori, in humans, according to a 1994 study conducted by H.P. Bartram named "Does Yogurt Enriched with Bifidobacterium longum Affect Colonic Microbiology and Fecal Metabolites in Health Subjects" and published in the "American Journal of Clinical of Nutrition."
Streptococcus Thermophilus
Streptococcus thermophilus is a commonly used probiotic in fermented dairy products, like yogurt. It is most effective in conjunction with Lactobacilli bacteria, according to Paul McSweeney and Patrick Fox in the book "Advanced Dairy Chemistry." When combined, these bacterial strains can digest up to 15 percent of the lactose in milk, making them an effective combination in treating those with a lactose intolerance.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Probiotics - Important for a Healthy Diet?
- "The Complete Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus bulgaricus Reveals Extensive and Ongoing Reductive Evolution;" M. van de Guchte, et al.; Procedures of the National Academy of Science; October 2005
- "Does Yogurt Enriched with Bifidobacterium longum Affect Colonic Microbiology and Fecal Metabolites in Health Subjects;" H.P. Bartram, et al.; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 1994
- "Probiotic 3"; R. Fuller and Gabriela Perdigon; 2000
- "Advanced Dairy Chemistry"; Paul McSweeney and Patrick Fox; 2009
