What exactly are probiotics anyway?

Maybe it's just me...but it feels like I've been hearing an awful lot about probiotics lately. What the hell are they? And what's the big deal?

According to a book I checked out from the library over the weekend (and the always handy-dandy Wikipedia), probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live in our bodies. Also important are prebiotics--nutrients the body gets from food that help foster the well-being of probiotics. Combined, the two help fight off nasty bacteria like salmonella, e. coli, and others. More importantly, ongoing research into probiotics shows they may have a significant role to play in helping our immune systems stay strong and fight off some of the big bugaboos like cancer, food allergies, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis. Probiotics and prebiotics are also a key component in breast milk which, many scientists suspect, has something to do with the fact that babies raised on breast milk tend to have much stronger immune systems than those on formula (and you know the infant formula companies are ALL over this).

Probiotics can be found in live culture yogurt (like this, our family favorite) and raw milk. Prebiotics can be found in soybeans, unrefined wheat and barley, and raw oats. But say you or your kids hate yogurt and raw milk is illegal in your state (or you just don't trust the stuff). What then? That's where supplements come in.

Some infant foods (like the formula above or this cereal product I've been using) have probiotics and some prebiotics built into them. Or you can purchase add-in supplements for everyone in the family. I mix a packet of this with Z's bottle every morning. And M, K, and I use this, which we buy via our family naturopath (for those of you interested in dosing info, M gets 1/4 tsp a day mixed with her morning yogurt).

Supplements are generally sweet tasting and therefore fine to mix with food or drink. Some kids will even eat it straight from the jar. But keep in mind, probiotics usually need to be stored in the fridge and should not be added to food or drink warmer than body temperature (remember, these little guys are alive and can't survive extreme heat).

When should you use prebiotics and probiotics?

• If you have a baby under 12 months and are formula feeding, make sure your formula has supplements as part of the mix OR purchase supplements separately and mix them in yourself.
• If you and/or other family members have been taking antibiotics of any type, always get in the habit of taking supplements or eating yogurt for the course of the drug. Antibiotics, unfortunately, kill both bad and good bacteria. This, for those who care to know, is why many women are susceptible to yeast infections during and after taking antibiotics.
• If you have a child in a daycare or school environment or you are in a job that requires frequent contact with kids (like teaching) or large numbers of people (like retail, social work, etc), probiotics will help strengthen the immune system and increase resilience.
• If you or a family member are suffering from constipation or diarrhea, probiotics can really help get the digestive system back on track.

The down side of probiotic supplements? First off all, they aren't cheap. I suspect you're generally better off (from a cost perspective) getting them via live culture foods like yogurt. Also, like any of the other "miracle" foods out there (acai anyone?) they aren't going to solve every problem under the sun. Probiotics work best in conjunction with a generally healthy diet. In other words, if you subsist on burgers and fries...it's doubtful they are going to have much impact on your well-being.

Ultimately though, given what we know about probiotics and prebiotics so far, I suspect it can't hurt to include them as a part of your regular diet. You can't OD on these puppies...so the worst that could happen is "not much". As for me, it's still early days for my family's foray into the world of probiotic supplements. Check back with me after M starts preschool in June and then when winter cold and flu season has returned...

PS Here's some more great info on probiotics and prebiotics. Note, I suspect they are trying to sell something as well...just ignore the pitch at the end of the article.