Choosing the right probiotic is not an easy task. Few are studied in clinical trials, so it is difficult to know which ones will work best. One product, VSL #3) is considered a medical food by the FDA and has been studied in 80 clinical trials and delivers up to 900 million live microbes with a diverse combination of friendly flora that includes various lactobacilli, streptococcus thermophilus, and several species of bifidobacteria. It is approved for use in irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and when there is an ileal pouch.
The importance of a healthy bowel ecosystem is vital and is discussed. A disordered ecosystem is called dysbiosis and is caused by poor diet, inflammation, infections, maldigestion, stess, antibiotics, toxins, and immune dysfunction.
