You’ve learned a little about the importance of probiotics from my last post “Probiotics – what’s the hype?“, but if that left you wanting more, I would suggest a longer read from WebMD’s website here.

For our Part II of Probiotics, I wanted to outline the different types of probiotics and what they are thought to do. This list has been summarized from a more detailed list found here.

There are 2 common species of probiotics; Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. Each species has strains that are basically sub-types.

Species of Probiotics

Bifidobacteria:

• common in foods and supplements
• supports immune system
• breaks down lactose for body to use

Lactobacillus:

• found in mouth, small intestine, vagina
• produces lactase (enzyme that breaks down lactose or milk sugar), and lactic acid
• fuel for muscles
• increased absorption of minerals

Strains of Probiotics

B. Animalis:

• aids digestion
• fights food-borne bacteria
• thought to boost immune system

B. Breve:

• lives in digestive tract and vagina
• fights off infection-causing bacteria
• helps body absorb nutrients
• breaks down plant fiber for digesting

B. Lactis:

• from raw milk (buttermilk, cottage cheese, other cheeses)

B. Longum:

• lives in gastrointestinal tract
• breaks down carbohydrates

L. Acidophilus:

• found in small intestine and vagina as well as yogurt and fermented soy products
• aids digestion
• helps fight off bad bacteria

L. Reuteri:

• found in intestine and mouth
• may decrease oral bacteria
• aids digestive system