Most often, when people hear the word “bacteria”, they immediately attribute the word to very small and very harmful organisms, often blamed for many diseases. What many people don’t know is that while there are indeed bad types of bacteria everywhere, especially in unsanitary environments, there are also good forms of bacteria present, and are currently living, somewhere on and even inside the human body. These good forms of bacteria are virtually essential in the normal functioning of the body, and the lack of it could have very serious implications on the health of a person. One type of these good bacteria is known as acidophilus.
Acidophilus is a species of bacteria that belongs to the genus lactobacillus, and is the general name given to a group of probiotics, or group of live bacteria that is known to be beneficial to the host organism. The name lactobacillus acidophilus is actually a Latin name and means acid-loving bacteria, since acidophilus is known to thrive in environments with a great concentration of acids. Acidophilus has garnered quite a good reputation because of the many good benefits that it gives, such as aiding in the digestive process, prevent and treat diarrhea, alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, replace the friendly intestinal bacteria that gets destroyed by antibiotics, improve lactose absorption in people who are lactose intolerant, enhance the response of the immune system, aid in the treatment of respiratory infections, lower the risk of certain allergies, and even aid in treatment of high cholesterol.
One of the best benefits to be received from acidophilus, however, is its ability to suppress disease-causing bacteria and treat overgrowth of bad bacteria in areas of the body where a neutral balance of groups of bacteria must be maintained, such as the vagina. The vagina is home to a number of naturally-occurring bacteria, some of it necessary to maintain the natural defense of the body to invasive forms of bacteria and disease. An imbalance in the naturally-occurring bacteria in the vagina can lead to a mild infection called bacterial vaginosis. When bacterial vaginosis occurs, one or more of the natural bacteria in the vagina multiplies much more than it should and results in an infection, manifested by an abnormal discharge from the vagina, which is characterized by a foul, fishy-like odor.
Introduction of acidophilus in this instance could help return the balance of the naturally-occurring bacteria in the vagina and thus cure the infection. Acidophilus is even known to decrease vaginal yeast, as overproduction of vaginal yeast can lead to severe itching and irritation, largely similar to the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis.
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