The Role Of Probiotics & Microflora

Probiotics and microflora are now understood to be an important part of gut health. Probiotics may help digestion, while boosting your immune system and fighting off bacteria that leads to health problems. Probiotics assist in maintaining the balance of microflora, the majority of which exist in the intestines.

About Microflora

Microflora exist naturally in your body, primarily in your intestines. Intestinal flora are harmless microorganisms including bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Your intestinal microflora contains about 100 trillion living bacteria and your body contains 100 to 400 bacterial species of microflora. Microflora are important to your overall health, with your body and the microflora thriving and benefiting off of each other. The "good" bacteria, or intestinal flora, receive nutrients from you while aiding in your digestion and assisting you in obtaining nutrients to nourish your body.

About Probiotics

The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations define probiotics as "live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host." Probiotics naturally occur in a healthy intestine. Probiotics are living organisms that benefit the host, when consumed in sufficient numbers. Probiotics also occur in foods, such as yogurt, tempeh, milk, miso, as well as some types of juices and soy beverages. Probiotics are also available as a supplement in tablet, capsule or powder form.

Dysbiosis

Your gastrointestinal tract, when healthy, will contain between 85 to 90 percent healthy bacteria. The remaining bacteria are "bad bacteria" and yeast organisms. This balance is necessary for your overall health and especially for your gut health. Taking antibiotics, birth control pills, stress and an unhealthy diet can upset the balance. Dysbiosis occurs when the balance between "good" and "bad" bacteria is upset. When dysbiosis occurs, the harmful bacteria can create a plethora of symptoms such as gas and bloating, intestinal pain and inflammation, yeast infections and constipation or diarrhea.

Probiotics for Balance

Eat a diet rich in probiotics to help maintain or restore the needed balance of bacteria in your body. Probiotics from food sources, or from supplements, may encourage the growth of healthy bacteria thus discouraging an overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria. Use probiotics daily to promote healthy flora as a preventative or to promote a healthy immune system. You may also take probiotics to treat specific issues such as yeast infections, urinary tract infections, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome, pouchitis or eczema. Those who have a damaged small intestine should not take probiotics without consulting first with a physician.