Why Probiotics are Important to Overall Health

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Most people associate probiotics with colon and digestive health. But what you don't know is that probiotic intake is beneficial for overall physical and mental health. Probiotics come in a variety of forms, powders, capsules, and foods such as yogurt, dairy drinks, infant formulas, cheese, and even snack bars that are supplemented with specific probiotic organisms. Whichever one you pick may be beneficial for a wide range of health concerns. 

The human GI tract contains more than 500 species of bacteria that help break down food, strengthen immunity, and ward off pathogens. And, this bacteria accounts for 3 lbs of your weight. That's crazy when you think about it! When the "bad" strains get out of control is when you may experience problems as minor as diarrhea or as serious as a systemic infection. Regardless, it is important to balance your flora. 

You'd be surprised at the various factors that can throw off your bacterial balance... Stress, changes in the diet, contaminated food, chlorinated water, and numerous other factors can alter the bacterial flora in the intestinal tract. 

Probiotics can do wonders to improve the digestive tract and boost the immune system. A lack of sufficient probiotics can lead to ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other gut inflammations. Here's something shocking that I didn't know (and you male readers, may want to ignore this one lol)... probiotics help restore the balance of microflora in the vagina and may be useful in treating such common female problems as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infection, and urinary tract infection. 

Life is about balance and regularity. So to play it safe, I recommend taking a probiotic supplement every day—even on the days you are able to eat fermented foods.