We hear a lot about probiotics. What exactly are they, what do they do, do I need them, and how much do I need to make a difference? We most often hear it in regard to yogurt. That’s a lot of questions. Let’s explore Dr. Internet.
Starting with Wikipedia, they are microorganisms believed to provide health benefits when consumed. (Notice the “believed to.”)
According to the National Institute of Health, some probiotics may help to prevent diarrhea or help with IBS. You can find probiotics in dietary supplements. Probiotics include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. There is still a lot not known about which probiotics may help which conditions. They suggest you contact your primary care-giver before adding probiotics to your diet.
Probiotics are naturally occurring in foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, and some olives. Some products are adding them like pizza dough mix, brownie mix, some drinks despite the jury being out about whether they really do anything.
Here is a clip from Good Morning America that aired this week about them.