Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria are beneficial bacteria found in the human digestive tract and in fermented dairy products. They produce lactic acid and other useful byproducts, aid in digestion, and help maintain a healthy gut microbiome. They also fight yeast infections and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. Probiotic supplements containing Lactobacillus acidophilus vary in effectiveness and quality.
Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria are Gram-positive bacteria that occur naturally in the human digestive tract. These organisms are part of a group known as lactic acid bacteria because they survive by breaking down sugars into lactic acid, producing a number of useful byproducts along the way. In the gut, they help people digest a variety of foods, and their waste products contribute nutritional value by providing people with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K. These bacteria are also known as “probiotic” or “friendly” bacteria as they have beneficial for health, unlike pathogenic bacteria that make people ill.
As the name suggests, the Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria are associated with milk and other dairy products and love highly acidic environments. When people ferment milk to make cultured dairy products like yogurt and cheese, these bacteria are often present. As they work, they increase the acidity of the culture, inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria that prefer more neutral environments. This makes cultured and other fermented foods resistant to infectious organisms, one reason many companies have a long history of using fermentation in food preservation.
In addition to producing nutritionally useful substances, the Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria keep the acidity high in the body, suppressing the growth of unwanted bacteria. In the mouth, it fights yeast infections such as those that cause thrush and may also prevent or fight yeast infections of the genitals. This is one reason why people with yeast infections are sometimes advised to eat yogurt with live active cultures or take an acidophilus supplement that contains Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria.
This organism has been the subject of intense study by researchers interested in how it behaves in the body, as well as people studying its role in food fermentation and preservation. Researchers have learned a lot about the conditions it prefers and how it interacts with other organisms. This has led to the development of a number of probiotic supplements, sold to promote digestive health. People should be aware that such supplements vary in effectiveness and quality; sometimes the Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria inside are dead and in other cases they may not be that helpful in terms of treating or preventing disease.
People interested in examining Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria can find slides online, many of which are colored to provide clearer visual information. For those who like things up close and personal and have access to high-resolution microscopes, samples of live cultured yogurt or other traditionally fermented foods can be examined to reveal their bacterial residents. This bacterium is easy to spot, with its distinctive rod shape.
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