Lactobacillus acidophilus, also called L. acidophilus or just acidophilus, is a bacteria found in your digestive tract. The bacteria is described as "good" or "healthy" because it maintains a normal balance of healthy bacteria in your intestines, thus regulating your digestive system. Another term for acidophilus is "probiotic," due to its beneficial effect on your body. A daily dose of acidophilus can treat common ailments like diarrhea and vaginal infections, but consult your doctor before taking the probiotic.
Adult Dose
Acidophilus dosing is measured in terms of live bacteria. Adults can safely take anywhere between one and 10 billion L. acidophilus bacteria daily, split up into smaller doses throughout the day. You may need to experiment to find a daily dose that maintains the healthy flora for intestinal health or to fight bacterial vaginosis without the threat of side effects. Taking less than one billion bacteria daily may not be a high enough dose to give you the health benefits you expect from the supplement.
Child Dose
Dosing of acidophilus in children under the age of 18 has not been studied as extensively as the use of the probiotic in adults; check with your pediatrician before giving your child the supplement. The primary usage of the supplement in children is to reverse the ill-effects of antiobiotics; the medications can destroy the good bacteria in your digestive system, causing diarrhea. MayoClinic.com recommends giving children older than 3 years of age lyophilized, heat-killed L. acidophilus instead of live cultures. Doses of up to 12 billion bacteria, given in split doses twice daily -- up to 6 billion each time -- for a period of five days can help settle a digestive tract that has been temporarily damaged by antibiotic medications.
Acidophilus Forms
Acidophilus is available in pill form, as well as in liquids and suppositories. Some brands of yogurt also contain live L. acidophilus bacteria, though the exact number of live cultures differs from brand to brand. Acidophilus counts in yogurt may be measured in colony-forming units per milliliter.
Considerations
Although acidophilus may help maintain a healthy digestive system, short-term side effects may occur when you begin a daily regimen of the probiotic. In a similar fashion to increasing your fiber intake too quickly, you might experience bloating and gas upon taking acidophilus. If your symptoms persist, cut back on your daily dose of acidophilus and take a reduced dose for several days. Increase your intake slowly to prevent gastrointestinal discomfort.
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