{"id":2218,"date":"2017-10-12T21:19:01","date_gmt":"2017-10-13T01:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=2218"},"modified":"2020-07-17T13:52:35","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T17:52:35","slug":"probiotics-do-they-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/probiotics-do-they-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Probiotics 101: What are they? And which are the best?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Probiotics may have been gaining popularity in recent years\u2014but believe it or not, probiotics have been around since the early <\/span>19th and 20th centuries<\/span><\/a> in some fashion or another. In those times, biologists found bacteria and yeast were used in the fermentation process and linked them to positive health outcomes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1994, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (which allowed dietary supplements to be regulated differently than prescription medications) was implemented by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This meant less rigorous standards for supplements\u2014including probiotics. As a result, probiotics could be sold over the counter, which allowed consumers to purchase them more easily.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are probiotics?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Probiotics are<\/span> live microorganisms<\/span><\/a>, including yeast and bacteria, that aid in digestive health. They are beneficial because they restore and balance the gut flora (or microbiome), which in turn improves <\/span>gut health<\/span><\/a>. While bacteria or excessive yeast might call infections to mind, not all bacteria is bad for humans. You have a significant amount of good bacteria in your gut (more specifically in the intestines and digestive tract) that is essential for keeping you healthy and processing the food you eat. In fact, microorganisms like bacteria outnumber human cells\u00a0 in your body 10 to one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cProbiotics, in essence, are the good bacteria in our gut microbiota,\u201d says Jenna-Ann Del Borrello, a registered dietitian in New York City. \u201cThey can be found in many fermented foods such as kimchi, certain cheeses, and yogurt as well as in pill or powder form.\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

Probiotics often try to mimic or copy the natural beneficial bacteria in the human gut. While probiotics have many different bacteria species or strains, the two most common bacteria strains found in probiotics include: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.<\/span><\/p>\n

Probiotic products include dietary supplements or foods with natural probiotics (like fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut) or added probiotics such as Activia yogurt. As pills or capsules, probiotics can be purchased over the counter or with a prescription.<\/span><\/p>\n

Probiotics should not be confused with <\/span>prebiotics<\/span><\/i>, which are a type of dietary fiber the bacteria in the gut feed on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do probiotics do?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are many benefits of probiotics, but most notably, they are used to treat GI health conditions as they help balance out the good and bad bacteria in the gut. Probiotics can:<\/span><\/p>\n