Pros and Cons of Probiotics

Most of the probiotic manufacturers portray these drinks or pills as something magical that will take care of your health concerns and make your immune system immune from everything! However, that is not the case. Probiotics definitely help your immune system grow more stronger, but they aren't really a cure to your problems.

Did you get the difference? What exactly are probiotics? Probiotics are nothing but drinks or pills that contain the 'good bacteria'. Good bacteria? Aren't bacteria supposed to bad? Well, that's what most of us think, but the fact is that there are two kinds of bacteria, the 'good bacteria' and the bad bacteria which causes illness and infections.

Advantages of Probiotics
The term 'probiotics' is derived from the Greek language meaning "for life"..., and indeed the reason why they are gaining so much of popularity is because of the fact that they are proving to be the answer to people looking for ways to adapt health in their daily living.

The first and foremost advantage of probiotics is that they are safe to consume for anyone, be it adults, or children. They are known to have minimal side effects which will be discussed later in this write-up. The bacteria present in the probiotic drinks, pills, or food items are the 'good bacteria'.

Disadvantages of Probiotics
Like each coin has two sides, even probiotics have both pros and cons..., actually more of pros than cons! But because we have discussed the pros, knowing about the minimum cons is also important. These are discussed as follows.

Remember, I stated earlier about the minimal side effects of probiotics! Probiotics are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which becomes a concern when you want to be sure about the effectiveness of something you are consuming.

Another concern is that though the consumption of probiotics have proved to be effective in a lot of health conditions that have been mentioned already, a lot of studies are yet to be done to confirm the same. Therefore, make sure that you always consult a trusted physician before going for probiotics.

This one is more of a caution instead of a drawback! Though probiotics are safe to use for people of any age, including babies, some experts suggest not to give probiotics to babies who are too young (less than 1 month old). If you have to, always consult a doctor first!

So, these were some of the identified pros and cons of probiotics till today, as constant studies and research will continue to throw some more light on this topic in the near future. However, if you decide to include probiotics in your daily consumption, and you are suffering from impaired immune system or conditions like HIV/AIDS.