Acidophilus & Bifidus Supplements

Acidophilus and Bifidus are two families of probiotic bacteria that can be taken in supplement form. Increasing your levels of these bacteria can be good for your digestive tract and can also help prevent some health problems. Talk to your doctor before taking any sort of supplement, including probiotics.

Acidophilus and Bifidus

Probiotics, which include supplements that contain Acidophilus and Bifidus bacteria, are used to increase the levels of bacteria in the intestines. Although bacteria can cause infections, some bacteria naturally live in the digestive tract and play important roles in maintaining the health of your gut. "Healthy" bacteria supplements such as Acidophilus and Bifidus contain bacterial organisms that have been freeze-dried.

Infection Control

One important function of the bacteria in your gut is preventing intestinal infections. The "healthy" bacteria in your gut help crowd out infectious bacteria and take up space and resources that would otherwise be used by pathogenic organisms. After a course of antibiotics, the levels of healthy bacteria in your intestines may go down, increasing your vulnerability to digestive infections. Acidophilus and Bifidus supplements help to recolonize your intestines and protect against this.

Other Uses

The bacteria in your intestines have other functions. They can help break down undigested food particles and also secrete small amounts of lactase that can be beneficial if you have lactose intolerance. These bacteria also stimulate and regulate your immune system by interacting with the immune tissue in your intestines. Probiotic supplements can help prevent some allergy-related conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and irritable bowel syndrome.

Safety

Because Acidophilus and Bifidus bacteria do not usually have the ability to invade and destroy healthy human tissue, they are generally safe for consumption. However, you should talk to your doctor before using them, particularly if you have a weakened immune system or an artificial heart valve. These bacteria can also cause flatulence, belching and bloating because the bacteria produce gas when they break down food.