Probiotics, as explained by health experts, are live bacteria and yeasts found in the body that are good for you, especially for the digestive system

Generally, the body is full of bacteria, both good and bad, Private Kamanzi, a nutritionist at Amazon Nutrition Cabinet, Kigali, says probiotics are often called "good" or "helpful" bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy.

The main job of probiotics, or good bacteria, he says, is to maintain a healthy balance in your body.

He explains that when one is sick, bad bacteria enter the body and increases in number; this however makes the body lose balance.

"Good bacteria works to fight off the bad bacteria and restore the balance within your body, making one feel better and most importantly healthy,” he says.

Importance of these bacteria

Probiotics are normally in two forms; lactobacillus found in fermented food and bifidobacterium which are found in dairy products.

Kamanzi says some of the probiotics are in form of yeast and bacteria, they all have one role which is fighting against harmful bacteria in the body and that they are mostly found in the digestive system, lungs, liver, kidney, and vagina.

Since probiotics live in the digestive tract, he says they help the body to break down the food in the digestion tract, or simply help in the digestion of food in general.

Aside from that, these bacteria also help in absorption of nutrients as well as facilitate the body in making certain vitamins.

Because of this, the nutritionist says probiotics are highly recommended for people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.

"When someone has been taking antibiotics for long or for a certain period of time, probiotics help the body to recover from the side effects of antibiotics,” he says.

He further points out that there are circumstances that can affect probiotics most especially when one is taking a lot of antibiotics, this can denature or stop them from functioning properly.

"Good bacteria keep you healthy by supporting your immune function and controlling inflammation. They also help the body digest food, keep bad bacteria from getting out of control and making one sick,” he says.

They also create vitamins and help support the cells that line the gut to prevent bad bacteria that one may have consumed (through food or drinks) from entering your blood.

Dr Janvier Rusizana, a general practitioner at La Nouvelle Clinic, Kigali says this balancing act is naturally happening in your body all of the time. One doesn’t necessarily need to take probiotic supplements to make it happen.

He says that when it comes to good bacteria, it is just a natural part of your body and that  eating a well-balanced diet rich in fiber every day helps to keep the number of good bacteria at proper levels.

Boosting your good bacteria

One can increase the number of good microbes in the body through foods, drinks, and supplements.

According to experts, certain foods in your daily diet contain probiotics, these include; fermented foods in particular which are believed to be home to a host of good bacteria that benefit your body.

 There are also fermented drinks (fermented tea or fermented dairy drink) that introduce extra probiotics into one’s diet.

 Apart from food, Kamanzi says one can still add probiotics to their diet through dietary supplements, by consulting health care on how best you can go about such supplements.

Also, it’s possible for one to increase beneficial microbes in the body from the foods they eat. Certain foods have probiotics (good bacteria) in them and can benefit the health of your microbiome.

Foods that contain probiotics include bananas, yogurt, and buttermilk. There are also some food supplements in form of probiotics.

Kamanzi notes that when probiotics are affected or altered, one can be exposed to conditions such as urinary tract infections and many other digestive problems including bloating.

"In case of deficiency of probiotics, one can as well suffer from liver and kidney problems. When those good bacteria are not there, it gives room for harmful bacteria to invade the body thus exposing it to different conditions,” he says.