Good vs Bad Bacteria:
Your well-being is in the balance

There's a complex ecosystem of bacteria living in your intestinal tract, but do not be alarmed. It's beneficial and it works for us.

This bacterial ecosystem is composed of "intestinal microflora" and while we need it to help promote healthy digestion for instance, we are not born with it. This friendly bacterial system starts to develop while we're still infants-during breastfeeding-and grows more sophisticated as more complex foods are introduced into our diets. But over time, the types and number of bacteria are influenced by factors ranging from stress and antibiotic intake to aging and our eating habits. That's where certain probiotic foods and supplements can come into play.

Normally we have about ten times as many bacteria in our intestines as cells in our bodies. Most of these bacteria are not harmful, but some of them can cause certain situations. Under normal circumstances, our good bacteria outnumber our bad. Research suggests that it is only when our intestinal microflora is out of balance (i.e., when we have too many harmful bacteria but not enough beneficial bacteria in our system to counteract them) that our intestinal microflora can have a negative effect on our well-being. To prevent these effects, we should rectify any shift in the balance from beneficial to bad bacteria.

Certain probiotic foods or supplements may be the most common sense and safest way of helping maintain the balance of our intestinal ecosystem.