Lactobacillus acidophilus is a type of natural bacteria that lives in your intestines and in a woman's vagina. Acidophilus is considered a "probiotic," meaning that it's a beneficial type of bacteria used for medicinal purposes to help fight harmful bacteria. Acidophilus may help in treating your stomach pain, especially if it's due to chronic diarrhea, an inflammatory bowel disease or certain food allergies. Before you begin taking acidophilus, consult your doctor to discuss the correct dosage and possible dangers.
Function
Acidophilus is a natural strain of bacteria that's derived from the yogurt and cheese-making processes, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Acidophilus essentially helps to prevent infections in your intestines and vaginal yeast infections in women. Although Lactobacillus acidophilus naturally resides in your intestines and vagina, some people may experience insufficient levels of the helpful bacteria, notes the University of Michigan Health System. Without adequate amounts of acidophilus in your body, harmful bacteria are less inhibited in their growth, causing infections. Acidophilus also helps to produce lactase, vitamin K and various antimicrobial substances, MayoClinic.com says.
Effects
Acidophilus may help ease your stomach pain and other symptoms caused by viral or infectious diarrhea, stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, milk allergies, the side effects of cancer therapies and indigestion, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Acidophilus can help to restore the healthy balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract in order to treat these stomach ailments.
Types
You can find Lactobacillus acidophilus in several different forms. Certain yogurts are fortified with acidophilus, MayoClinic.com notes. Acidophilus also comes in the forms of capsules, tablets and liquid supplements. You can also find acidophilus in the forms of topical remedies and suppositories, typically used to treat yeast infections, although the anal suppository is sometimes used to treat diarrhea. Acidophilus dosages are measured in billions of organisms instead of grams or ounces, and the typical dosage is 3 to 5 billion live organisms per day, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Ask your physician about the dosage and type of acidophilus that's right for you before taking the probiotic.
Potential
In addition to treating a variety of gastrointestinal ailments, acidophilus may also help treat vaginal infections, yeast hypersensitivity syndrome, canker sores, chronic constipation, eczema and rheumatoid arthritis, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Acidophilus and other probiotics could have the potential to help treat Behcet's syndrome, allergic rhinitis, diverticular disease and insomnia, as well as prevent colon cancer and colds. Other possible uses for acidophilus include treating or preventing urinary tract infections, yeast infections in the mouth and antibiotic-induced diarrhea, notes the University of Michigan Health System. No official, conclusive scientific research supports the use of acidophilus for any of these medical purposes, however.
Warning
You might experience side effects like gas while taking acidophilus supplements, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Don't take acidophilus if you have a suppressed immune system or pancreatitis, because doing so could potentially be fatal. If you have artificial heart valves, have intestinal damage or are taking immunosuppressant drugs, you could develop an infection of the acidophilus bacteria that could lead to death, MayoClinic.com warns. Acidophilus supplementation may be unsafe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, so take probiotics only under the close supervision of a physician.
