Many of my friends are taking Probiotics; what are they?
Probiotics are oral supplements which contain living bacteria, usually Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium species. These bacteria are beneficial; they usually live in large numbers throughout the large intestine, and their presence is useful for stabilizing the microflora (bacterial population) of the large intestine. These bacteria process leftover nutrients that are not digested in the small bowel and convert these nutrients into chemicals which are nutritious to the lining layer of the large intestine but not useful to other bacterial species residing in the large bowel. These good bacteria compete more effectively than certain harmful bacteria for nutrients and reproduce more effectively than many bad bacterial species which can be harmful in the intestine of the person that harbors them. The mere presence of Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria helps suppress the population growth and the harmful actions of the bad bacteria in the large intestine by limiting their access to nutrients.
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