Probiotics: Benefits for Digestive & Immune Health | NCCIH

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine defines probiotics as live bacteria, often called "good bacteria," that help the body. Clinical studies have shown that probiotics assist a number of conditions in which the body's internal balance is disturbed. The benefits of probiotics help a number of conditions that involve the digestive and immune systems.

Urinary Infections

• The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guides states that a clinical study demonstrated that one of the benefits of probiotics in women is their effective treatment and prevention of vaginal and urinary tract infection.

Digestive Problems

• Probiotics can be used to treat digestive problems, such as gastrointestinal ailments and irritable bowl syndrome, in adults and diarrhea in infants and children.

Crohn's Disease

• According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Crohn's Disease is a chronic condition that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. A study reported by the U.S. National Library of Medicine states that the benefits of probiotics include the minimization Crohn's Disease relapses.

Acne

• The Acne Resource Center states that probiotics are an effective in the treatment of acne because they help fight the bacteria that facilitate acne outbreaks.

Antibiotics

• Taking antibiotics for infections removes both good and bad bacteria from the body; however, the University of Michigan Health System stated in an article that one of the benefits of probiotics is that they replace the healthy bacteria that have been leeched out of the body.