We live in a “germaphobic” society. The term, coined by the writers of the television show “Seinfeld,” describes people who live in perpetual fear of coming into contact with bacteria and other microbes that may cause them to become ill. 
While “Seinfeld” introduced the concept as a joke, the sad truth is that there are many people who live in fear of coming in contact with harmful bacteria. But it might interest such “germophobes” to know that cutting off contact with all germs is not only impossible, but it may not be healthy to do so. We need a certain natural contact with healthy microbes in order to stay healthy. These “good germs” are often referred to as probiotics, and they’re the latest health craze.
The human body contains natural microscopic “flora” that every human actually needs in order to survive. These microbes can dwell on your skin, and even in your intestinal tract, aiding your digestion. This is the most popular use for probiotic products: to aid in digestion and in regulating bowel movements. These probiotics help you to get things moving in your digestive tract and can be helpful to cultivate a healthy, thriving colony of healthy bacteria in your gut.
Your body naturally contains these bacteria, but they can use a boost from time to time. These boosts often come in the form of live, active cultures in products such as yogurt. The live cultures in yogurt can make their way into your digestive tract where they can do the most good. Some yogurt products containing probiotics claim to be able to regulate digestion and bowel movements by contributing to the body’s natural ability to break down food and nutrients in the intestinal tract. But, unfortunately, not everyone likes yogurt enough to eat it every day, no matter how many flavors it comes in.
For those who dislike yogurt, but still want to get these probiotics into their digestive tract, there are other options. There are now probiotic supplements that can introduce these helpful microbes into your digestive tract just as easily, if not more easily, than eating a cup of probiotic-laden yogurt. You don’t have to force yourself to eat something distasteful to you if you don’t want to. Instead, you may find it more palatable to take a simple pill supplement in order to get the probiotic punch that you want to aid in your digestion.
