by Lela Simon

Created on: February 13, 2009   Last Updated: February 16, 2009

Have you noticed that probiotics are everywhere these days? They are in your breakfast cereal, your yogurt, and even your snack bars! So what are probiotics, and what is the big deal about them?

Your gut is full of bacteria, some good, some bad. Bad bacteria can cause all sorts of issues, like bloating, gas, and even in rare cases infection when they over run the good bacteria. A diet of highly processed, acidic foods can create a good environment for bad bacteria creating imbalance in the intestines.

Probiotics are good bacteria. They help you to process your food, synthesize certain vitamins and keep things flowing in the right direction. These "good bacteria" are always present in your GI track, but they can become overwhelmed by the bad bacteria. If you notice that you are unusually gassy, have stomach pain associated with fibrous foods, are irregular or have problems with yeast infections you might find including probiotics in your diet helpful. There is some evidence that probiotics can help with food allergies and lactose intolerence as well.

The first step to boosting the helpful bugs in your belly is to create a better environment for them. Including "prebiotics" into your diet daily for at least a week before adding the probiotics will create the right atmosphere. Common prebiotic foods are- apples, artichokes, asparagus, bananas, garlic, honey, leeks, onions and whole grains.

Now it is time to add probiotics. The first thing one thinks of is yogurt, but there are many other options as well. If you are going to go the yogurt route, make sure it says clearly on the label "live cultures" otherwise you will not get the benefit. Other options are from fermented foods. Things like miso, sauerkraut, kefir and kim-chi are full of healthy probiotics. Make sure that you buy them from the refrigerator case though, as fermented foods that can sit on the shelf have had all their bacteria, good and bad, wiped away in their packaging process.

Probiotics should be used to create balance in your system, so if you choose to use supplements, do not use them for more than 3 weeks at a time. Also, make sure that the supplement you buy has live cultures; it should be refrigerated. If you eat a diet full of prebiotic and probiotic foods, you will be able to find a balance of bacteria on your own.

Learn more about this author, Lela Simon.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.