Several years ago I worked for a nutritional supplement company. The company nutritionist was very passionate about probiotic acidophilus. She would talk about it more than any other nutritional supplement. One day I asked her why she talked about probiotic acidophilus more than any other product. She said that it is essential to keep the intestinal flora healthy, which is essential to health and long life.

The potential benefits of probiotic acidophilus include prevention of colon cancer, lowering blood pressure, lowering cholestoral, managing lactose intolerance, improving Immune Function, preventing Infections, reducing inflammation, improving mineral absorption, preventing harmful bacteria growth under stress, irritable bowel syndrome and colitis.

Probiotic acidophilus is dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts. The most common type of microbe is lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The purpose of probiotic bacterial cultures is to assist the intestinal flora and microbes to repopulate. Some doctors and many nutritionist have recommended probiotics as a treatment after taking antibiotics or as part of the treatment for candidiasis. Claims have been made that probiotics strengthen the immune system to fight allergies, excessive alcohol intake, stress, exposure to toxic substances, and other diseases. Probiotics are not a replacement but a needed addition to most diets. Foods that are high in dietary fiber should be eaten in adequate quantities because they have been found to support healthy intestinal flora.

The benefits of probiotic acidophilus include the following: Lactose Intolerance - Although probiotic acidophilus is not specifically targeted for this purpose certain active strains may help lactose intolerant people tolerate more lactose than normal. Lowering Cholestorol - Studies have shown the effectiveness of probiotic acidophilus in lowering serum cholesterol levels. Some tests have shown that dairy foods fermented with specific probiotics can produce small reductions in LDL cholesterol levels. Lowering Blood Pressure - Several small studies have shown that drinking milk fermented with different strains of probiotics can result in a small reduction in blood pressure.Improved Immune Function and Prevention of Infections - Probiotic acidophilus are believed to have several beneficial effects on the immune system. They protect against bacteria and viruses and evidence suggests they may improve immune function. Clinical trials have shown that probiotics may decrease the respiratory tract infections and tooth decay in children.probiotic acidophilus been effective in the treatment and prevention of diarrhea, and in decreasing the severity and length of rotavirus infections in children and travelers' diarrhea in adults.

Reducing Inflammation - Probiotic foods and supplements have been found to reduce inflammation. Studies show that they can prevent reoccurrences of inflammatory bowel disease in adults, and decrease milk allergies and the risk of atopic eczema in children. Improve Mineral Absorption - It is believed that probiotics may help correct the inability to absorb trace minerals from whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Prevents Harmful Bacterial Growth Under Stress - one study done to see the effects of stress on intestinal flora showed that probiotics prevented harmful bacteria from attaching to the intestines. Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Colitis - In a recent study probiotics were found to improve some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. In another study probiotics were found to be effective in reducing IBS symptoms. Also, they were found to be effective in treating ulcerative colitis.

The best probiotic supplements combine a number of beneficial bacteria with yeast. Supplements should contain Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria in the billions. Some products feature every probiotic organism known, or say they have bacteria in the zillions per dose. Too many active organisms may not have the desired health effects. There is no research that says that more is better. The right balance is considered to be more effective than quantity. Keeping the intestinal flora healthy is crucial for healthy living. A high fiber diet is important to maintain healthy bacteria in our intestines. In most cases people do not get enough probiotic acidophilus from their diet and supplementation is necessary