ProLactobi Probiotics

Improving Health with Beneficial Microbes

The human body contains around 10 trillion human cells while our gut, lungs and skin are home to a whooping 100 trillion bacterial cells from over 500 different species. There are ten times more bacterial cells than the human cells. This means our bodies are more bacterial than cellular.

Our intestinal tract is filled with an enormous number of helpful bacteria called probiotic bacteria. As we look into the intestinal tract we find that there are only a few bacteria in the stomach because it is highly acidic. However, the further down the intestinal tract we move, the number of these good bacteria increases dramatically with the biggest numbers being found in the large intestine. We need to have a large population of probiotic bacteria to aid with digestion and to keep the harmful, disease-causing micoorganisms in check. If the percentage of good bacteria is too low, compared to the bad bacteria, our bodies function poorly and we are likely to have many health problems.

Intestinal bacteria are essential to life. Babies are born with a gastrointestinal tract essentially free of bacteria. However, within a few days after birth, specific microflora begin to colonize their gastrointestinal tract (through breastfeeding, mother's vaginal flora and the environment).

For the average adult, the intestinal tract will contain about 4 pounds of bacteria. Normally should be a balance of about 85% probiotic bacteria and 15% harmful bacteria, but many people are so far off that their intestinal tract contains only 15% probiotic bacteria and 85% harmful bacteria.

Bacteria typically carry a negative connotation as a cause of illnesses and infections in humans. Probiotics are the exception to the rule. This set of bacteria is essential to maintaining a healthy digestive system and ensuring that the body absorbs nutrients from food. An optimal balance of microbial organisms in the intestine is suggested to be an improtant aspect of maintaining good health.