Probiotics & Human Health

Probiotics are beneficial, "friendly" bacteria that reside in your digestive tract and help to prevent disease. Probiotic supplements are often taken to optimize health and to help treat a variety of health-related disorders. The most common strains of bacteria found in probiotic supplements include acidophilus and bifidobacteria.

Enhance Immunity and Digestion

Probiotics perform a number of useful functions in your body. They enhance your immunity by regulating lymphocyte and antibody production. In addition, probiotics aid in digestion and help to prevent food borne illness. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that when probiotics break down food in your intestines, several substances are formed that create an unfriendly environment for bad bacteria, and the probiotics thereby prevent the harmful bacteria from flourishing.

Absorb Nutrients and Treat Urogenital Disorders

In addition, probiotics help your body to synthesize vitamin K and, according to HealthCastle.com, they enhance the absorption of numerous nutrients including the B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium and phosphorus. Probiotics suppress the growth of disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast. As such, probiotic supplements can help to maintain urogenital health by preventing urinary tract and vaginal infections and possibly treating vaginal infections due to yeast and bacterial vaginosis .

Promote Bowel Health

Harvard Health Medical School states that probiotics are beneficial for the prevention and treatment of diarrhea and chronic constipation. They are also helpful for a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. Specifically, probiotics are thought to help treat irritable bowel disease and Crohn's disease. In addition, probiotic therapy may help to treat and maintain remission of ulcerative colitis symptoms.

Additional Health Benefits

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, more research needs to be done, but probiotics may also help to improve lactose intolerance, lower the risk of pollen allergies and treat allergy symptoms, treat eczema and reduce high cholesterol. In addition, probiotics may help to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your colon and reduce the conversion of bile into carcinogens, which are cancer-causing substances. Dr. Joseph Rafter, in a 2004 issue of "Nutrition Research Reviews," stated that although studies are preliminary and have not yet been done on humans, the use of probiotic lactic cultures for human cancer suppression is interesting, and probiotic therapy holds promise as a useful preventative measure, particularly for the prevention of colon cancer.

Supplement Recommendations

Antibiotics kill the healthy bacteria in your intestines, and probiotic supplements are often recommended to repopulate the beneficial bacteria in you gut. Probiotics are generally considered safe and free of side effects. Probiotic bacteria are temperature sensitive and to ensure you are taking a supplement with live bacteria, choose one from the refrigerator section of your health food store, or look for a supplement that specifically states that the bacteria are manufactured to not break down under normal temperatures.