Ah-choo! Have your family and coworkers been hit by the flu virus, colds, persistent cough, strep throat or any of the other bugs going around? It's been a tough season, and we are not done yet. Even if you are staying healthy, bifidobacteria can benefit you in so many other ways.

It often surprises people to learn that our intestinal tracts play a major role in lives. One of its most important jobs is keeping our immune system functioning. Believe it or not, 80% of our immune system lives in our guts, so if it's out of whack you can bet our health is too. In order for both our immune system and intestinal tract to work right, we need lots of good bacteria to protect us, and about 70% of that bacteria should (ideally!) be bifidobacteria. 

Studies show, when we have lots of these beneficial bacteria inside our digestive tract, we are less likely to catch a cold or the flu. On top of that, probiotics do so much more. They help prevent constipation, diarrhea, food cravings, heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome. If any of those symptoms sound familiar or you're trying to ward off illness,

Deficient in Good Bacteria?

People can become deficient in good bacteria from taking antibiotics and steroid medications, drinking chlorinated water or eating fruits and vegetables with pesticides and herbicides on them, or meat and dairy products from animals given antibiotics and growth hormones. On top of all that, many of us start out deficient in good bacteria if we were born by a C-section and/or formula fed.