Probiotics are bacteria or yeast that improve health. They were discovered by a Russian biologist, Elie Metchnikoff. The bacteria are found in certain foods and supplements where they are found in liquid, pill, or powder form.

Benefits

Probiotics have a number of benefits. For example, they aid in lowering the pH of the intestinal tract by boosting the number of good bacteria while at the same time lowering the chances of disease-causing pathogens of setting up in the intestinal tract.

The bacteria have also been shown to be effective in helping stressed dogs to solve with digestive upsets. In addition to this, the bacteria have been shown to alleviate digestive issues that come about as a result of abrupt dietary changes.

It's estimated that 60-80 of the body's immune system is found in the digestive tract. This is because the tract contains a lot of intestinal flora that works around the clock to block disease-causing microorganisms. Since the probiotics aid in increasing the intestinal flora, they play a major role in boosting the immune system.

Other benefits of the probiotics include: lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, alleviating skin conditions, treating ulcers and urinary tract infections, and preventing colon cancer.

Although, probiotcis have the above benefits, they have their fair share of disadvantages. One disadvantage is that some of them have been shown to over stimulate the immune system. Before you give your dog the probiotics you should ensure that you first consult your vet.

Points to consider when buying probiotics

There are three main points that you should consider when buying the bacteria:

• The number of bacteria in the probiotic
• The form that the product should be taken
• What the supplement is made of, how it's packaged and stored.

When considering the number of bacteria in the probiotic you should ensure that the product has at least five different strains of bacteria. Of major importance you should ensure that the probiotic contains one of the most important strains of bacteria, lactobacillus acidophilius.

In addition to telling the strains of bacteria in product, you should also go for a product that states the amount per billion of each strain that are viable.

Although, you should go for probiotics with high amounts of bacteria, you should be wary of manufactures who boast of having super high amounts of bacteria. This is because the bacteria could be dead and as a result be of no value to you.

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