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(KSL News) Probiotics is a word gaining popularity in the health world, but still relatively unknown by the general public.
It means "for life," and they're popping up in more and more nutritional supplements and food products, advertised as strengthening the body's natural defenses.
Nutritionist Dr. Rovenia Brock said, "Probiotics are good bacteria that live in your digestive track. You need them to keep a healthy bacterial balance and to aid in healthy digestion."
They're also advertised to ward off digestive problems like diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating. Probiotics do exist in foods like yogurt, but nutritionists say we don't always get what we need, creating the need for a daily supplement.
Probiotics are also being touted as a treatment for colic in babies. One in four suffer with unexplainable pain and crying, often characterized as colic.
But recently we've learned many babies suffering from colic actually have treatable conditions like milk protein allergy or acid reflux disease.
And a recent study published in the March edition of the Journal of Pediatrics showed probiotic drops significantly reduced the symptoms of colicky babies when compared to standard gas drops.
