The term ‘bacteria’, does not sound like it would jive with the word ‘good’, but that is where probiotics step in. Probiotics are good bacteria that live in your intestines. They are involved in digestion as they help break down your food and help your body absorb the vitamins it craves. Probiotics are the opposite of antibiotics. They work for your body instead of against it.
Taking probiotics can help replace the good bacteria within your body and help fight against skin and food allergies. Lately allergies have been on the rise, and many researchers speculate that hyper-sterilization is the root cause. Using antibacterial soap, for instance, gel, or other cleaners obsessively, destroys all bacteria, good and bad, from our environment. This does not give the immune system an opportunity to strengthen itself and can become weak over time, especially in small children. Probiotics can help defeat these allergies, along with irregular digestion, plaque buildup, nausea, diarrhea, constipation and the most common skin allergy, eczema.
You can find probiotic supplements at the vitamin store or you can talk to your doctor to find the right bacteria for your body. You can also find probiotics in foods like non-dairy cultured yogurt (coconut, rice, soy), kimchi, miso, tempeh, and sauerkraut. Taking probiotics daily, or at least after taking antibiotics, is an effective way to maintain your health, both physically and mentally.