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Benefits of Probiotics

What are the health benefits of probiotics? What are foods that contain probiotics?

Walk into any pharmacy today and you will have the option of purchasing probiotic supplements. Go into any grocery store and you will see a variety of yogurts and soy products that have been enriched with probiotics. Are you wondering what these things are? Do you want to know what are the real probiotics benefits?

What are Probiotics?

There are microscopic organisms which live in our stomachs and intestinal tracks naturally. They consist of bacteria, yeast, viruses, parasites, and other microorganisms, some which are beneficial to the human body and others which can be detrimental to human health. The "good" organisms are naturally in charge of keeping the "bad" organisms under control so the body is balanced and healthy, but there are problems with our modern world.

As food is altered to extend shelf life many of the natural beneficial organisms that we used to collect from the soil our food was grown in and the food itself is being removed. A lot of it is also killed off internally through the use of antibiotics.

That is why we need probiotics. Probiotics are essentially microscopic organisms very similar to the ones we are naturally missing today. They go into our stomachs and intestinal tracts to do the job our missing natural microorganisms can't do. For the most part, the type of probiotics used in dietary supplements is bacteria.

There are some foods which still naturally contain some probiotics, including:

1. Fresh fruits and vegetables
   
   
2. Milk products
   
   
3. Sauerkraut or finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented
   
   
4. Some soy based drinks

The use of yogurt and other products that are enriched with probiotics can be helpful, especially if you are trying to consume larger amounts in order to obtain some of the great health benefits of probiotics.

Health Benefits of Probiotics

It must be noted that the following probiotics health benefits are attributed to probiotics in general, but there are different types and strains of probiotics which may enhance one benefit over another. You really cannot tell exactly what type of probiotics you are consuming through a supplement or whole food, but if you take a high quality product you can expect to receive the following benefits with consistent use.

The biggest benefits of probiotics surround the digestive tract and intestines. They can help with proper digestion by ensuring that nutrients from your food are properly absorbed and they can prevent and treat diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and other common digestive health problems.

The list of health benefits of probiotics continues to expand as research goes on, but here are some of the most noted benefits to date:

1. Lower cholesterol
   
   
2. Stronger immune system
   
   
3. Reduced risk of various types of cancer
   
   
4. Prevention of urinary tract infections
   
   
5. Replaces beneficial bacteria to the body

So, there is a lot that probiotics can do for your body, but what are the risks and side effects of probiotics? Most people who do not have underlying health conditions experience no side effects of probiotic supplements or foods with natural probiotics. In some cases there can be some minor bloating or gas, but otherwise there are no serious noted side effects.