Probiotics are the healthy bacteria in your digestive system that help you digest food, fight off the bad or unhealthy bacteria in your system, and act as a barrier against free radicals and other harmful substances in your body. When there is a lack of probiotic bacteria in your intestinal tract, food is not broken down into the proper parts for absorption, and your body cannot protect itself from all that unhealthy bacteria and harmful elements.

Typically there is anywhere between one trillion and four trillion types of bacteria in the body’s intestinal tract. If the bad bacteria outnumbers the good bacteria many problems can occur, including:

Digestive problems like constipation and diarrhea, among others

Depression, chronic fatigue, and low sex drive

Unexplained pain and other joint and muscle pain

Skin rashes or irritations like eczema and acne

It only makes sense that probiotics could assist in curing skin conditions like eczema and acne since both occur due to food allergies. Foods like yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, miso, tempeh, and soy beverages can be consumed for probiotics. Probiotic supplements like acidophilus are also available, however, a doctor should be consulted if there is long-term use.

An improper bacteria balance is caused by many factors. Manage your stress, keep a healthy diet with plenty of fiber, limit alcohol consumption, and avoid prolonged use of antibiotics to avoid probiotic depletion.