If you’ve watched television or read a label any time in the last few months, chances are that you couldn’t help but hear about probiotics. They’re the rage in everything from smoothies to orange juice, to pizza to straight diet supplements. It seems like everyone is talking about them, but no one really knows anything about them – kind of like high fructose corn syrup… Rather than give in to the hype, we decided to do some research, ask some questions and then turn the information over to you in a small single serving easy to digest portion.

Probiotics: what are they?

Simply put, probiotics are good bacteria. Yes, there is such a thing. Think about the active cultures in yogurts and you get a pretty good idea of what we are talking about. And you already have upwards of 5000 strains of them living and thriving in your digestive tract. And they are busy doing good things for you like reducing gas and bloating, stimulating your immune system and promoting healthy digestion. They also help to push out other microorganisms like viruses, yeasts and bacteria that can cause you to get sick or worse.

Nature’s supply: is it enough?

The first question that comes to mind is if we already have these bacteria naturally, do we really need more? The answer is yes and no. If you were never stressed out, never ate any preservatives and never went on a course of antibiotics, then no, you would not need additional probiotics in your system. But if you’re human like the rest of us, you could use a boost wherever possible. For instance, a five-day course of antibiotics will kill the good along with the bad and leave your supply of probiotics as much as 30% depleted by day five. Without adequate probiotics in your system, you are more susceptible to things like diarrhea and yeast and urinary tract infections. A recent study also shows that an increased intake of probiotics may also help to reduce the risk of cancer and possibly help to fight obesity.

Labels: what to look for?

There are a variety of foods now incorporating probiotics into their ingredient list as well as a host of nutritional supplements on the market. While getting some of your intake of probiotics from your food is a great idea, a supplement might be a simpler way to monitor the amounts you are getting. For supplements, look for 10 to 20 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) and strains of bacteria that include bifidobacterium, lactobacillus, GG reuteri, LGG reuteri or L reuteri. When looking for your probiotics in food products, bear in mind that the bacteria survive better in a cool moist environment (like yogurt) than in dry goods (like cereal).

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