How Your Health Can Benefit From Probiotic Therapy

Recent scientific evidence shows that certain diseases can be cured or treated using probiotic therapy. Probiotics is defined as "live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host". We get these from certain foods such as yogurt that is fermented with bacteria or through supplementation. Most people associate bacteria with disease and this is why some people may have a hard time associating this with a health benefit. The people of Northern Europe have known this for years as their diets consist of these types of foods. In Japan drinks that are fortified with probiotics have become popular recently.

Over the last 20 years studies have shown that probiotic therapy can be effective in treating some gastrointestinal diseases, delaying the onset of allergies in children and treating women who experience urinary and vaginal tract infections. This is probably why interest in probiotics, while not as strong as in other parts of the world, is on the increase in the United States. The medical community has discovered that they can be affective in treating some diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome that do not respond well to conventional medicine. Additional studies on probiotics have shown that they also can improve the absorption of important nutrients, normalize bowel function, benefit those who suffer from bloating, lower the rate of diarrhea and diaper rash in infants, reduce lactose intolerance, aid with constipation in the elderly and enhance our immune systems.

In the bowel of a healthy person there are over 500 different types of bacteria that number about 1 trillion. These are not bacteria that make us sick but are there to help us by minimizing the number of harmful pathogens along with aiding in the digestion of the foods that we eat. Knowing this it may make more sense to people that having the right balance of these microorganisms in the proper amounts can be a health benefit.

The best case for probiotics is in the treatment of diarrhea. Studies have shown that they can reduce the duration of infectious diarrhea in infants and children by as much as 60%. It is interesting to know that this same affect does not apply to adults. This is an area where further research will be needed. People suffering from Crohn's disease, which is another condition that does not respond well to conventional medical treatment, have also shown benefits from probiotic treatment.

Probiotics have been used successfully in maintaining urogenital health in women. Like the intestinal tract the vagina is a finely tuned ecosystem. The bacteria that normally inhabit the vagina cause it to be to acidic for harmful microorganisms to survive. Several factors such as spermicides, birth control pills and antibiotics can throw this system out of balance. Treatment with probiotics can restore the balance of microorganisms and is helpful in treating common urogenital problems in women such as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections and urinary tract infections. Vaginosis must be treated as it can create a risk of pregnancy related complications and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Probiotics are generally considered to be safe. This is because they are already present in a normal digestive system. People with impaired immune systems could be at a theoretical risk. As with any supplementation program one should always consult with their primary care provider.