Good Bacteria and Probiotics

Good Bacteria and Probiotics

Beneficial bacteria live in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract and play an important role in digestion and immunity. Everyone knows it's smart to eat yogurt after completing a course of antibiotics to repopulate the GI tract with helpful bacteria that were wiped out from the antibiotics.
Some studies have shown probiotics can shorten the duration of infectious diarrhea. They may also reduce the risk of developing diarrheal illness due to antibiotic use. Probiotics seem to reduce gas, bloating, and abdominal pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Ongoing research seeks to determine the types and dosages of bacteria that are most beneficial to human health.