Today, there is a high demand for health supplements all over the world. People look online to find out about all these supplements. They want the best of everything like the best weight loss supplement, the best pre-workout drink, the best vitamin C supplement, etc. Apart from these products, one other thing that is in demand right now are probiotics and probiotic supplements. Learn about probiotics and their functions here.

Before you go ahead and buy probiotics, you have to know the answer to the question that is – what exactly are probiotics? Probiotics are living microorganisms that are said to have positive effects when consumed or applied on a body part by a person. Probiotics usually consist of bacteria but some kinds of yeasts also act as probiotics. It is usually believed that bacteria and microorganisms are harmful to our bodies. But the fact is that there are two types of bacteria – good bacteria and bad bacteria. The good bacteria can help a person in keeping the gut in a healthy condition as it helps in digesting food. It also produces vitamins in the body and helps in fighting cells that may cause diseases. They can be found in food items like yogurt, kimchi, dietary supplements, etc. Probiotics largely belong to two categories – Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Lactobacillus can be found in fermented products like yogurt and Bifidobacterium, on the other hand, can be found in dairy products.

The next question that comes to mind is – how exactly do probiotics and probiotic supplements work? The answer is that when we consume anti-biotics to fight the bad bacteria, it also results in a loss of good bacteria. So, probiotics help in making up for the loss of good bacteria and also balances the amount of good and bad bacteria in our body. The body’s immune response is also influenced by these probiotics.

Consuming probiotic supplements can have a lot of benefits and below is a list of some of those benefits:

• Inflammation, which can lead to many diseases, can be reduced with the help of top probiotic supplements.
• There is a reasonable amount of evidence to prove that some skin disorders like eczema and acne can be treated with the help of some top probiotics.
• People who have a cholesterol problem can also buy probiotics as they are supposed to lower the levels of cholesterol in a person.
• Daily probiotic consumption by a person can lead to a reduction in the blood pressure levels of the person.
• For people who are suffering from clinical depression, bacteria like Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus helveticus can reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• Probiotic supplements can also strengthen the immunity system against infections like the common cold.

If all this sounds too confusing, you should just know that a regular intake of pro-biotics help in digestion, gut health and in turn boost immunity of the body. These are safe for children as well. Probiotics have several benefits and if you are looking to improve your gut health, probiotic supplements are a good option. But before you go out to buy probiotics, you must pay a visit to your doctor and consult him about it.