Probiotics

The Basics

Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate пїЅ пїЅ

What are probiotics? " пїЅ Probiotics are what many people call "friendly bacteria " пїЅ or "good bacteria. " пїЅ They are bacteria that live in the body and help it work well. Often probiotics help defend the body from infections caused by unfriendly bacteria or other germs. пїЅ пїЅ

Probiotics get into your body on their own, so you can get benefits without doing or taking anything extra. But some people take pills that contain probiotics because they think the pills will help keep them healthy. Some people even take "pre-biotics, " пїЅ which are pills that contain a form of food that probiotics like. The problem is, even though there is good proof that probiotics help the body, there is still no good proof that taking probiotic pills does any good. пїЅ пїЅ

Do probiotic pills help improve health? " пїЅ A few studies have hinted that probiotic pills might improve health, but scientists say there is not enough proof to say for sure. They think more research is needed. пїЅ пїЅ

Right now, researchers are studying whether probiotics: пїЅ пїЅ

Can help fight or prevent infections in the stomach or intestines, including a serious infection called Clostridium difficile (also known as "C diff " пїЅ)
Can help with diarrhea, constipation, and some of the conditions that cause these symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohns disease
Prevent or treat allergies, including a skin condition called eczema, which makes the skin itchy and flaky
Help prevent or fight infections in the vagina

Should I take probiotic pills? " пїЅ No. You should not take probiotics, unless your doctor or nurse tells you to. There is no proven benefit of taking probiotic pills. пїЅ пїЅ

Should I eat yogurt with "active cultures " пїЅ? " пїЅ Yogurt products that have "active cultures " пїЅ have probiotics in them. If you like yogurt and can digest it normally, there is probably no harm in eating it. It's possible that eating yogurt will help your digestion and help keep you healthy. If nothing else, low-fat yogurt can be a part of a healthy diet. пїЅ пїЅ

Some women put plain yogurt directly into their vagina to help prevent or treat infections in the vagina. Experts do not recommend doing this, because studies have not proven that it actually helps. пїЅ пїЅ

What are the downsides to taking probiotics? " пїЅ Probiotics are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) the way standard medicines are. That means that the companies that package probiotics don't have to prove that the ingredients listed on the label are actually in the bottle. In the end, you could buy a bottle that does not have what you think it has, so you could lose money. (Some probiotic pills are expensive.) пїЅ пїЅ

Even if you do find pills that contain what you think they do, there's a small chance the pills could do you harm. Probiotics are seen as safe and "friendly " пїЅ but they are still bacteria, which could, in theory, cause infections in people with weak immune systems. пїЅ пїЅ

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 16894 Version 4.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.208 пїЅ пїЅ

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer

This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you.The use of UpToDate content is governed by the UpToDate Terms of Use. пїЅ пїЅ2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. пїЅ пїЅ

Probiotics

The Basics

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer

Copyright