Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed. They promote digestive health, support the immune system, and help treat conditions like diarrhea, IBS, and bacterial vaginosis. Common probiotic strains include Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, and Saccharomyces boulardii. By maintaining the natural balance of bacteria in the body, probiotics help prevent infections, reduce cholesterol, aid nutrient absorption, and support weight loss. Due to their effectiveness and lack of side effects, probiotics have become a useful alternative treatment option.

2. What are Probiotics?
 Over the past several years the benefits
of probiotics for the immune system
have just begun to be studied and
documented
 The word "probiotic" is a compound of
two Greek words: "pro," to signify
promotion of and "biotic," which
means life.
 Probiotics are microorganisms of over
500 different types of bacteria that
work by enhancing the immune system
to fight off disease and illness.

3. What are Probiotics?
 World Health Organization defines a
probiotic as any living
microorganism that has a health
benefit when ingested.
 Similarly, the USDA defines a
probiotic as "any viable microbial
dietary supplement that beneficially
affects the host.“
 They have no known side effects for
use and have become a viable
alternative for illnesses that have not
found any encouraging results with
traditional treatments.

4. Some Probiotics strains:
 Lactobacillus
 Bifidobacteria
 Streptococcus
thermophilus
 Saccharomyces boulardii
 Enterococcus faecium
 Leuconostoc

5. The Benefits of Probiotics
1. Digestive Health
 There are millions of adults and children who suffer
through the effects of diarrhea for many different
reasons and causes. Chief among them is antibiotic
use. Antibiotics work by killing not only the bad
bacteria but the good as well. When that happens, the
body is imbalanced which can be a major cause of
diarrhea. Probiotics work by restoring the good
bacteria in the intestines and counteracting antibiotic
side effects.
 Research has shown that probiotics can be helpful for
people with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS -- a hard-
to-treat condition that can have a range of intestinal
symptoms, such as abdominal pain, cramps, bloating,
diarrhea and constipation.

6. The Benefits of Probiotics
 Certain probiotics may help maintain remission of
ulcerative colitis and prevent relapse of Crohn’s disease and
the recurrence of pouchitis (a complication of surgery to
treat ulcerative colitis).
 Ingestion of certain active strains may help lactose-
intolerant individuals tolerate more lactose than they would
otherwise have tolerated.

7. The Benefits of Probiotics
2. Urogenital Health
 Maximizing the natural ability of
bacteria in the urinary tract,
probiotics aide in vaginal and
urinary infections in women. Within
the urinary tract and vaginal areas
there are naturally occurring
bacteria that help to fight fungal and
bacterial infections. Probiotics work
in the same manner, creating
balance and allowing the beneficial
bacteria to overcome malignant
bacteria that can be the cause of
disease and illness.

8. The Benefits of Probiotics
3. Female Reproductive System Health
 They cure a host of feminine hygienic conditions such as
yeast infections, and bacterial vaginosis. The female system
works best when it is in balance, that is when there is a
balance of good bacteria to fight the bad bacteria. When the
reproductive system is out of balance, it is easy for the bad
bacteria to overcome the good creating fungal and yeast
infections. Probiotics maintain the natural balance of a
woman’s system and prevent diseases and illness that are
specific to the reproductive system.

9. The Benefits of Probiotics
4 Immune System Health
 Clinical trials have demonstrated that probiotics may
decrease the incidence of respiratory tract infections
and dental caries in children.
 Research shows that probiotics may keep away some of our
most common ailments. Regular courses of probiotics may
prevent colds and flus, and starting probiotics during a cold
or flu can reduce the severity or length of the illness.
 Allergy research is still preliminary, but at least one large,
high quality study found a relationship between women
taking probiotics during pregnancy and a 30 percent
reduction in the instance of childhood eczema (an early sign
of allergies) in their infants.

10. The Benefits of Probiotics
5. Cardiovascular Health
 Although not a confirmed effect, some
studies have indicated that consumption
of milk fermented with various strains
of lactobacillus may result in modest
reductions in blood pressure, an effect
possibly related to the ACE inhibitor-
like peptides produced during
fermentation.
 Animal studies have demonstrated the
efficacy of some strains of lactobacillus
at being able to lower
serum cholesterol levels.

11. The Benefits of Probiotics
6. Overall Nutritional Health
 One of the multiple benefits that probiotics have
is the capacity to synthesize vitamins. In vitro
studies and in humans have documented the
capacity of some probiotic strains to synthesize
Vitamin K, folic Acid, and B12.
 Some preliminary research shows that
probiotics can help obese people who have
received weight loss surgery to maintain weight
loss.
 In a study of post-partum women who were
trying to lose abdomnial fat, the addition of
lactobacillusand bifidobacterium capsules
helped reduce waist circumference.

12. My Favorite Probiotic
Probacto
 Probacto is the best probiotic that I have ever
run into. They use multiple strains and they are
spore forming so they can last while not
refrigerated. They do not use cheap bacteria, but
expensive ones such as B. Subtilis.
 Probacto also contains prebiotics to help
stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in
your gut.
 Probacto contains digestive enzymes to assist in
your digestion.
 Probacto is enteric coated and made to be slow
release so it will release in your gut gradually.

13. Conclusion
Due to the many benefits of probiotics in the absence of any
risk, they have become a useful tool for the medical
community. They have many uses in the body. They not
only boost the functioning of the immune system, they
naturally aid in fighting bad bacteria by supplying the body
with enough good to keep the body in symbiosis. Unlike
most traditional therapies for disease and illness, there are
no side effects or risks associated with them, nor is there a
risk of overdose that leads to the need for a prescription, or
the monitoring of a physician.