Probiotics: Good, Bad, or Indifferent?

If you spend any time in grocery stores, and most of us do, you will know that probiotics (“good” germs) and prebiotics (bacteria food or fiber) are all the rage. So, do bacteria really “do you good?”

According to a report in the Medical Journal of Australia, sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. This is why it is important to have access to accurate and balanced sources of information. An average human being has over 500 species of bacteria living in their intestinal tract, a veritable community, all seeming to work in cooperation with each other and with their host (a person)–unless of course there is a shift in the balance of power. Then, like can happen in politics, there is trouble.

For example, if a person takes antibiotics, comes down with a tummy bug, gets food poisoning, or suffers from an inflammatory bowel condition,  the microbial balance of power can shift, resulting in diarrhea and/or other uncomfortable conditions. Some of the good bacteria die and some less helpful ones flourish. Lactobacillus and Streptococcus thermophilus (bacteria found in all yogurts) to the rescue?

Apparently, yes, at times. Probiotics, administered together with rehydration therapy significantly reduce the duration and risk of virus-induced diarrhea. Similarly, taking yogurt or a probiotic drink together with necessary antibiotics diminishes the risk of having diarrhea as a side effect from 34 to 12%. Finally, some studies suggest that probiotics may even reduce one’s chances of getting traveler’s diarrhea. However, do be aware that one brand of yogurt is much like another–they are all “live,” unless they have been heat-treated (unlikely).

So, are probiotics a cure for all ills? No. Studies on the beneficial effects of probiotics on allergies, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and necrotizing enterocolitis are unconvincing. In addition, probiotics are definitely contraindicated for newborns and those who are immune compromised. But, for the rest of us? Go ahead. Enjoy your yogurt (the brand does not really matter). It won’t hurt and might even help.