Probiotics – The Good Stuff in Your Gut

Pro-biotics, also known as probiflora, is the opposite of anti-biotics. These are the “good” bacteria that are found in the human digestive tract. The gut flora are the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract and that perform a number of useful functions for their hosts.
The average human body, consisting of about 10,000,000,000,000 (ten trillion) cells, has about ten times that number of microorganisms in the gut.
Bacteria make up most of the flora in the colon, 99% of the bacteria coming from about 30 or 40 species and the activity of these bacteria make the colon the most metabolically active organ in the body.
Research suggests that the relationship between gut flora and humans is not just a non-harmful coexistence, but rather a mutualistic, symbiotic relationship. Though people can survive with no gut flora, the microorganisms perform a host of useful functions, such as training the immune system – by stimulating the lymphoid tissue of the gut’s mucous lining to produce antibodies to harmful substances. The immune system then recognizes and fights harmful bacteria, but leaves the helpful species alone, a tolerance developed in infancy. They also prevent growth of harmful bacteria by regulating the development and renewing of the intestinal lining, they produce vitamins for the host (such as biotin and vitamin K), as well as hormones to direct the host to store fats.
Some types of gut flora have enzymes that human cells lack for breaking down certain starches, fiber, oligosaccharides and sugars that the body failed to digest and absorb like lactose and sugar alcohols, mucus produced by the gut, and proteins. In addition, the short chain fatty acids they produce help the body to absorb nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Another important role of helpful gut flora is that they prevent species that would harm the host from colonizing the gut. Yeasts and harmful bacterial species are unable to grow too much due to competition from helpful gut flora species, thus animals without gut flora are more susceptible to infections.
Probiflora are destroyed by antibiotics, chlorine in drinking and bath water, and stress. Replacing the colony of flora in the digestive system(with a supplement) and maintaining (eating foods like yoghurt and fermented foods) will assist in a myriad of conditions including acidic imbalance, obesity, constipation, bloating and flatulence, diarrhea, candida, parasites, infections of the urinary tract or female genital tract, irritable bowel syndrome, prevention of the recurring of bladder cancer, lactose intolerance, allergies and eczema in children.
Ensure that the probiotic supplement taken is of good quality and remember, the bacteria are alive – they die off, so store them in a fridge to ensure that they last longer!

References: Solgar, Wikipedia.com, MedicineNet.com