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Originally Posted by stefaan

If you have Crohn's disease or colitis ulcerosa, DON'T take probiotics. It's been proven to be a bad idea.

Probiotics are highly hyped and are expensive. It's nothing more than a commercial product. In fact, most people don't need it. ...yoghurt is much more efficient and healthy then probiotics in most cases.

Both these statements are incorrect.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder that is painful and causes malnutrition, weight loss and worse complications. L. acidophilus and L. bifidus in a nondairy formula are specifically recommended to help reduce inflammation and reduce seepage of undigested food particles.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition whose manifestations are similar to Crohn's. Both involve extreme inflammation, ulcers and bleeding in the large intestine. Acidophilus and bifidus in a nondairy formula are specifically recommended once again to normalize intestinal flora, especially if the patient has been on antibiotics.

It is true that many commercial companies have jumped on the nutritional bandwagon and offer products of dubious value. Let the buyer beware. The most expensive product is not necessarily the best. If a person has a varied, mostly raw vegetarian diet that includes cheese and yogurt, miso and other fermented foods, then he may not need to take probiotics at all. People who eat a diet of processed foods full of synthetic ingredients need all the digestive help they can get. Anyone who has been on antibiotics needs to follow them with a full remedial program of probiotics to normalize bowel function. Anyone with a compromised immune system, cold, flu, diarrhea, constipation or any other illness needs probiotics. So does anyone who travels.

Probiotics range in price from a $5 bottle of acidophilus to a $65 bottle of Primal Defense by Garden of Life. What's best for you? How should I know? It took me years to learn my own body, now I know enough to help people make intelligent decisions...but only you know how you feel, what you eat, and how you abuse your body. Also, what's your goal? Do you just want to feel okay without spending much? Or do you want to feel vibrant and robust well into your old age? These are the things that will guide your health choices.

There more than a dozen probiotic organisms. L. acidophilus and L. bifidus are the most well-known as they are the ones most numerous in yogurt and kefir. The more expensive formulas will have 6-14 different varieties, and a guaranteed potency in the billions of living organisms. Watch for guaranteed potency at time of consumption as opposed to time of manufacture. There are many formulas available, including ones for infants. I give them to my dog, too.

My two favorite probiotic products are:

All-Flora by New Chapter. About $25 for a bottle of 72 capsules. Food-based, all organic, has a count of 6 billion organisms of 8 species in each capsule.

EPS from Jarrow Formulas. About $18 for a package of 60. Needs no refrigeration, enteric coated, has 8 billion per capsule. Great for traveling.

I always recommend my customers consider supplements as part of their food budget, not buy supplements they don't need, and balance the cost against the savings in medicines and doctor visits.