Have you ever wondered – what exactly are probiotics and what are they used for? The word ‘probiotics’ means ‘for life.’ Essentially, they are live microorganisms – often referred to as ‘good bacteria’ which already live in our bodies (intestines) or may be beneficial to health.
Mechanisms for action
You may find the idea of bacteria in your body as a reason to rush out and take antibiotics, but believe it or not, we need bacteria throughout our small and large intestine to help digest food and keep our immune system functioning properly.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the effects of probiotics on health include reducing harmful organisms in the intestine, producing antimicrobial substances that destroy or suppress the growth of microorganisms, and stimulating the body’s immune response. Basically, the research is still out about all of the health benefits and efficacy due to the lack of randomized controlled, double-blind studies that have been conducted with probiotics.
Healthy digestive tract = Healthy immune system
Probiotics were identified around the turn of the century. Researchers were looking at correlations between longevity and milk fermented with lactic acid bacteria in European and Russian communities. Remember those Dannon commericials with the dancing 100 year-old Russians? In addition to breathing in pathogens, eating food and drinking beverages is another way of bringing germs into the body, so a healthy gastrointestinal tract is a good first line of defense.