According to the World Health Organization, probiotics are “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Most probiotics are developed from small, single-celled organisms or bacteria.
Human bodies may host many types of microbes. It has been estimated that there are more microbes associated with the human body than there are human cells in it (www.usprobiotics.org). There are many of these bacteria, but there are also many kinds of bacteria – perhaps more than 400 different species, or types, make their homes inside the human body.
Microbes can be very important to people’s ongoing health. Most of the bacteria are not harmful; in fact, they may contribute positively to normal human growth and development. Of course, some bacteria do have negative side effects, so it’s important that the balance of microbes be regulated so that the helpful bacteria outnumber the harmful ones.
The microbes present in the gastrointestinal tract – G.I., for short – may be positive, negative or indifferent. They aren’t very common in the stomach and small intestine, but they are quite populous in the lower small intestine, large intestine and colon.
We know that microbes in the large intestine complete the digestion process on any food components that were not digested in the small intestine – elements such as lactose in the lactose intolerant or fibers that enzymes in the small intestine cannot break down. We have also seen evidence of non-digestive microbes. Some intestinal microbes produce vitamins. In fact, some studies have shown that without normal microbial populations, the immune system would function quite poorly, making the body more susceptible to various germs and illnesses.
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Probiotics Basics
