Health Benefits of Probiotics Table of Contents Getting Started Chapter # 1: Intro Chapter # 2: Diving in Deeper Chapter # 3: Types of Probiotics Chapter # 4: Dosage Health Benefits Chapter # 1: Diarrhea Chapter # 2: Brain Function Chapter # 3: Cholesterol Chapter # 4: Infections Chapter # 5: Chronic Fatigue & Psoriasis Recipes Chapter # 1: Fermented Hot Chili Sauce Chapter # 2: Probiotic Apple & Beetroot Relish Chapter # 3: Moroccan Preserved Lemons Conclusion References 1: Intro Bacteria are notoriously known for causing and spreading various diseases in the body, so the whole idea of consuming a few billion of them a day for the goodness of one's health may seem, both figuratively and literally, hard to swallow! But in the last decade there has been an increasing amount of positive evidence that suggests that many of these bacteria in foods and supplements can actually cure illnesses and eliminate their underlying causes. These "good" bacteria are known as probiotics and are the new big thing in the scientific community. The word "probiotics" is a composite of the Greek words, "pro" and "biotic". The word "pro" means to amplify promotion while "biotic" means life, therefore, combine the two words and you get something along the lines of "to promote life". This word-definition fits the description to quite a large extent; the World Health Origination defines probiotics as any live microorganism that provides a health benefit when consumed. Similar descriptions have been provided by other medical research bodies. For most people who are familiar with the word, the mention of probiotics brings up images of yogurt and other fermented food items, but it must be noted that probiotics are not just found in yogurt but can be actively cultured. Nowadays, probiotics are commonly available in supplements in the form of capsules, liquids or in chewable form; a number of strains are sold in the market but the most popular ones are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. Don't be horrified by their gigantic names as none of your doubts and queries will go unresolved.