As "friendly" bacteria, probiotic supplements support your body's defenses against harmful bacteria. Although most healthy people don't need to take probiotic defense supplements, you might benefit from taking them if you have certain health problems like infectious diarrhea. Before you begin taking probiotic supplements, consult your doctor to discuss the correct dosage and potential health risks.
Function
Probiotic supplements contain "good" bacteria that can help protect you from harmful bacteria and promote healthy digestion, according to MayoClinic.com. Many different types of "friendly" bacteria naturally reside in your intestines, and probiotic supplements essentially replenish or add to these bacteria. Probiotics help to counterbalance the amounts of illness-causing bacteria in your body and support the healthy balance of microorganisms in your intestines, says the University of Michigan Health System.
Types
More than 400 different types of friendly bacteria naturally reside in your gastrointestinal tract, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Additionally, many different types of bacteria are available in the form of probiotic defense supplements. One of the most common probiotic bacteria species used in supplements is Lactobacillus acidophilusm, but other Lactobacillus species are also available, such as L. thermophilus, L. casei, L. bulgaricus, L. reuteri and L. plantarum, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Bifidobacterium bifidum and B. lactis are also commonly found in probiotic supplements, along with Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces boulardii and Enterococcus faecium, as well as Streptococcus salivarius, S. thermophilus and S. bulgaricus.
Effects
Probiotic defense supplements are most often used to treat or prevent types of infectious diarrhea and diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics, says the University of Michigan Health System. You might also take probiotics to help prevent or treat other types of diarrhea, as well as treat digestive-tract infections, inflammatory bowel disease and ileal-pouch inflammation following colon-removal surgery. Other typical uses for probiotic supplements include treating or preventing eczema, preventing respiratory infections in children, treating ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease and preventing otitis media or ear infections, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Talk with your physician before taking probiotic defense supplements to treat or prevent any type of medical condition.
Potential
Probiotic supplements could have the potential to prevent or treat vaginal yeast infections or candidiasis, recurrent urinary tract infections and irritable bowel syndrome, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. You might take probiotic supplements to reduce your LDL, or "bad cholesterol," levels, treat stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria, ease the symptoms of milk allergies and treat canker sores. Probiotics may also help reduce the recurrence of bladder cancer, prevent or ease the symptoms of common colds and flu, and improve your overall health, MayoClinic.com says. No conclusive, widely accepted scientific evidence supports the use of probiotics in preventing or treating any medical condition, however.
Warning
Because probiotic bacteria are a normal part of your digestive tract, the supplements are generally considered safe, notes the University of Michigan Health System. No comprehensive safety testing has been performed on probiotic supplements, however. The most common reported side effect of taking probiotic defense supplements is gas or flatulence. Because little is known about the safety of probiotics, talk with your doctor to discuss possible dangers before taking the supplements.
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