Goodness of Probiotics for Gut Health

Probiotics are the “good”bacteria that your gut needs to maintain immune function, gut health andoverall health. Probiotics help stimulate the natural enzymes and processes that keep our digestive organs functioning properly.

Our gut is home to roughly 70 percent of your immune system and trillions of bacteria, both helpful and not-so-much, which are kept in balance largely by a healthy, plant-rich diet.

Collectively, those bacteria are called the microbiome, and when you feed it well with lots of fiber, nutrient-dense foods, and little if any sugar—chances are, you’ll be well far more often than ill. If you don’t have enough probiotics, the side effects can include: digestive disorders, skin issues,candida, autoimmune disease and frequent colds and flus.In addition to a healthy diet, a fundamental way to keep the microbiome on an even keel is by supporting it with probiotics. 

Toget your daily dose, you must eat probiotics or take a supplement—or better yet,do both to cover your bases and fill in any nutritional gaps. You can consume probiotics in the form of curd / yogurt, fermented foods like idlis or dosas or fermented rotis made of wheat, pickles, Sauerkraut.

When you lose "good" bacteria in your body, for example after you take antibiotics, probiotics can help replace them. They can help balance your "good" and "bad" bacteria to keep your body working the way it should.

Types of Probiotics

Many types of bacteria are classified as probiotics. They all have different benefits.

Lactobacillus - This may be the most common probiotic. It's the one you'll find in yogurt and  other fermented foods. Different strains can help with diarrhea and may help people who can't digest lactose, the sugar in milk.

Bifidobacterium - You can find it in some dairy products. It may help ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and some other conditions.

Saccharomyces boulardii -  is a yeast found in probiotics. It appears to help fight diarrhea and otherdigestive problems. So keep your daily dose of roiotics