Types of Probiotics

There are several strains of probiotic bacterium that are beneficial to the body and keeping the digestive track running smoothly. Here are some of the most common strains of probiotics - Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, and Enterococcus faecium. Each one of these beneficial microorganisms is used in some form by the body to help boost the immune system, heal imbalances, and keep the "guts" running smoothly. This is accomplished by helping to more efficiently break down food for the body to use and make the elimination of bodily wastes easier and more regular.

Marketing Probiotics Acceptably

When Dannon started its Activia brand of yogurt they created the name Bifidus Regularis to help market their new yogurt. The name of the actual bacterium is Bifidobacterium animalis and is among the probiotic bacterium used to make yogurt. That being said, for yogurt to be allowed to be considered truly probiotic it has to contain at least one of the mentioned probiotic bacterium. Every type or brand of yogurt must be treated with the two strains Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus in order to turn the milk to yogurt, which are not probiotic. The probiotic bacterium come as the yogurt develops.

Probiotics Find Their Niche

As with most things, the business industry has found a marketing niche for probiotics in the natural health sector and now many food companies are adding any one or more of these probiotics to their products. Food items such as granola and other cereals, soy milk and other soy products, cheese, and even baby formulas to help make them much gentler to baby's tummy and easier to digest. Natural health supplement and vitamin businesses now offer most, if not all, of these probiotics in an easy to use gel capsules or tablets. This works well for those folks who hate yogurt, have an aversion to anything that is even remotely considered "health food', or just prefer to make sure they are getting enough of these healthful bacterium into their system in order to keep it running as smoothly as possible.

To learn more about the benefits of adding probiotics to your diet and to find about more on how probiotics can help you on the path to natural healing try browsing the world wide web or check for information at your local library. Talk to your doctor, or even consult a dietician on the known befits of adding probiotic foods to your diet.