How probiotics work and what are their benefits
Yogurt is probably the first probiotic that was ever identified and used. Although other types of probiotics were discovered and unearthed, the public association is so strong that a mere mention of probiotic will still bring yogurt to mind. That being said, the probiotic yogurt benefits are numerous in number. However, as mentioned earlier, yogurt is not the only probiotic in use now. The WHO (World Health Organization) has defined probiotics as any living microorganism that has a health benefit when ingested. CFU, or colony-forming units, is the microbiological term for the density of viable bacteria in a product. CFU also happens to be a measure of the probiotic richness that a food item has. Probiotics products and their working Some of the rather well-known probiotic products are unpasteurized and non-flavored plain yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, pickles, tempeh, kimchi and kombucha tea, among others. These bacteria belong to different groups and are selectively effective with each different strain offering a varying degree of benefits. Scientists are trying to find specific bacteria for treating specific conditions. The exact mode of their action is still being studied. When naturally-occurring bacteria are lost, it is the probiotics that can help replace them as in the case of antibiotic treatment for diarrhea.