Probiotics: Just How Important Are They For Your Health

Probiotics | Yogurt | Body360 Health Tips

As kids we were all taught to fear germs.  They’re nasty, they’re gross, they make us sick.  Remember what your parents always told you: Wash your hands!  Everything has germs!  While it’s absolutely true that surfaces everywhere are covered in microscopic organisms like bacteria and other germies that can make you terribly sick, the fact is that there are many, many microorganisms out there that not only are not malevolent, they’re actually good for you.  Now before go around licking the kitchen floor, let us here at Body360 introduce you to one of the healthiest class of microorganisms out there: probiotics.

According to WebMD, probiotics are microscopic organisms that live within animals’ intestines and help along the digestive process.  There are hundreds of different types of probiotics living inside of us constantly, and most of them–the so-called “good bacteria–fight off other germs and bacteria that are harmful to us (yep, you guessed it, the “bad” ones).  You can up your body’s quotient of probiotics via both food and supplements.  

Here’s how:

One of the most common places where you’ll find–and ingest–probiotics is in the dairy aisle of your local grocery store, most often in yogurt form.  In fact, entire sections of the yogurt section are now devoted specifically to probiotic formulas alone (take note, unless it specifically states on the label that it has probiotics, it likely does not).  Eating probiotic yogurt can restore the digestive system’s “balance” of good and bad bacteria.  This can help with feelings of bloating and indigestion, and also restore balance following a course of antibiotics, which upset the body’s microorganic balance.  WebMD says that one 6-ounce yogurt dose will give you about 9 grams of protein, as well as calcium, vitamin B-2, B-12, potassium and magnesium.

And yes, probiotics can also be ingested in supplement form (you’re welcome; that’s why we’re here!).  According to Harvard, the recommended daily dosage is from 1 billion to 10 billion colony-farming units (CFU), which, though it sounds ginormous, is actually just the amount contained in a single capsule or two.  Harvard further says that a daily supplement taken for only one to two weeks can relieve antibiotic-related diarrhea.  The university points out that it is important that the probiotics be alive when you ingest them (no, not ew!), meaning supplements should be stored away from heat, moisture or excessive exposure to air, all of which can kill them and thus end their healthfulness.  Some even require refrigeration, so keep all of this in mind if you do in fact go the supplement route.

So we’ve learned today that, indeed, not ALL bacteria are bad; in fact, many billions (yes, billions) are actually good for you, including probiotics, which you can ingest in both yogurt and supplement form.  This will keep your body’s magic elixir of digestive processes working properly and keep you healthy.

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