“Friendly” bacteria? Yes, there are. And you may need some if you’ve just had a course of antibiotics, or had GI side effects from them.
How much do you need? Think billions. Billions of Colony Forming Units (CFU) per serving.
And according to Consumer Reports, yogurts with the highest CFU levels are Breyer’s Fruit on Bottom Lowfat, Colombo Light, Dannon Fruit on Bottom Lowfat, Stonyfield Farm Organic Lowfat, and Yoplait Original Lowfat.
Almost all the supplements, Acidophilus liquids and capsules were much lower in probiotic bacteria than the Yogurts and Yogurt drinks. And not nearly as tasty.
Add probiotics if you think food can be medicine too. For irritable bowel syndrome, for atopic eczema, for traveler’s diarrhea, and for other infection protection, probiotics are often effective.
Avoid probiotics if you’re lactating or pregnant. Or if you have a suppressed immune system. Learn more about food as medicine.