Good vs Bad Bacteria: Types, Benefits and Side Effects

Bacteria are single-celled, or simple, organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. Many bacteria are found both inside and outside of organisms, including humans. They usually dwell in places where nutrients can be found, like inside animals and plants, or on the surface of substances like soil, water, and food. Factors such as age, diet, and location can affect which types of bacteria are present in a person’s body. Like any living thing, bacteria need food sources and water to survive. Bacteria are some of the most common living organisms on Earth; they outnumber all the other types of life combined.

Types Of Bacteria

The Microbiology Society describes bacteria as single-celled microorganisms. This can be dangerous, but helpful for us. Bacteria are the smallest forms of life. There are many types of bacteria, classified as harmful and helpful. Bacteria can be single-celled or clustered together in pairs. They have a variety of colors and shapes. It is seen that there are basically five groups of bacteria that can be categorized because of their shape and size, they are:

• rod (bacilli)
• corkscrew (spirochaetes)
• comma (vibrios)
• spiral (spirilla)
• spherical (cocci)

Bacteria are defined as single-celled microorganisms often found in great numbers. Bacteria are often classified based on how they respond to oxygen. While some types of bacteria may not need oxygen to survive, others prefer their environment to be “aerobic.” A single-celled microorganism is called a bacterium.

Benefits Of Bacteria

Various researchers have estimated that there are more than ten times of bacteria in your body than they are present in human cells. It is also noted that the majority of the bacteria seem to be beneficial. In the digestive system or gut microbiome of humans, most of the beneficial bacteria are located. These bacteria which are found in the human body help the being in the breakdown of the food and keep one’s health. There are some people who take probiotics on a daily basis or while taking antibiotics to support gut health. Probiotics are live bacteria. You can get them from foods such as yogurt or milk. You can also take probiotics on your own or with a specific diet to help support your gut microbiome. The best way to reap the benefits of probiotics is by taking them regularly alongside a healthy lifestyle. These supplements taken on a regular basis contain strains of helpful bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus.

Microorganisms are essential in maintaining the ecological balance of the environment and maintaining the proper functioning of our bodies. Probiotics can be found in health food stores, and there are plenty of probiotic supplements for sale online. While it’s not necessary to take a daily supplement, probiotics play a critical role in your overall health, so it is wise to add them to your diet every now and then. These beneficial microorganisms can be found in foods, such as yogurt and sauerkraut, or added to beverages and foods during processing to improve shelf life.

How Bacteria Are Harmful?

Bacteria are a part of everyone’s lives. They live inside our bodies and in the soil, on our skin, and on household items like towels. Some bacteria can be helpful and help us digest food, while others cause diseases ranging from minor to life-threatening. Although certain types of bacteria may lead to disease, most aren’t considered pathogenic (harmful). There are many more good bacteria than bad. If you consume or come in contact with harmful bacteria, they may reproduce in your body and release toxins that can damage your body’s tissues and make you feel ill. In some cases, you may need antibiotics to stop pathogenic bacteria from reproducing and harming your body.

Pathogenic bacteria are considered as harmful as they tend to cause diseases and illnesses such as:

• strep throat
• staph infection
• cholera
• tuberculosis
• food poisoning

Good Vs. Bad Bacteria

Bacteria are a part of our day-to-day lives, and we usually don’t think twice about them. Bacteria are present in virtually every environment, from our homes and offices to the food we eat and the water we drink. The good news is that over the last several decades, science has developed various ways to combat bacteria in all these places. Bacteria are important, but they don’t always cause illness. In fact, many bacteria help our bodies by digesting certain foods and producing vitamins that we need to survive. Some of them actually have benefits for the human body and contribute to your immune system.

Good bacteria are a healthy part of your gut ecosystem. They help break down food, generate vitamin B12 and other nutrients for the body, and produce acids that keep harmful bacteria from overgrowing in your gut. Eating food rich in probiotic bacteria can help maintain healthy levels of good bacteria in the gut and fight off harmful bacteria. But sometimes, we put the population of beneficial bacteria at risk. When we take antibiotics to treat an infection of harmful bacteria, we also kill helpful bacteria. This can cause an imbalance of bacteria in the body that can lead to diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems.

Probiotic And Health

Probiotics can be good for your health. In fact, the idea that certain types of bacteria can improve our health has been around proposing that eating bacteria similar to those living in our bodies could have health benefits. Recent research shows that there are specific strains of probiotic bacteria that can help support digestive health. Probiotics are bacteria that are supposed to have positive effects on health. They are now widespread in products and people often take them with the knowledge that they will improve their health in some way. Probiotics are bacteria that are introduced into the body to improve health. They’re often sold in supplement pills, suppositories, and creams. Some foods contain probiotics as well. Some food that contains friendly bacteria are:

• yogurt
• buttermilk
• cheeses with live active cultures

Apart from these, there is some food that contains friendly bacteria including fermented food, for instance:

• miso
• tempeh
• sauerkraut
• beer
• sourdough bread
• chocolate
• kimchi

As it is said that there are some good bacteria to improve health, so probiotics include certain conditions such as:

• diarrhea (including diarrhea caused by

antibiotics)

• irritable bowel syndrome
• ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
• tooth decay, gingivitis, and periodontitis
• eczema

Types Of Probiotics And Their Function

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that can help boost your immune system, keep you regular, and even treat or prevent disease. There are a variety of different probiotics and strains, but here are some examples of how they’re thought to work:

• Lactobacillus: The body needs helpful bacteria for digestion, metabolism, and health. Lactobacillus is a type of good bacteria that lives in the digestive system and helps break down food into nutrients that are easier to absorb. It contains more than 50 species, some are, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius, and Lactobacillus Plantarum. Its uses include:

• Prevent diarrhea

• Prevent colic in babies

• Prevent lung function in young ones

• treating bowel conditions such as irritable

• bowel syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis

• Bifidobacteria: Bifidobacteria make up most of the “good” bacteria living in the gut. These bacteria begin colonizing the gastrointestinal system almost immediately after we’re born. Unfortunately, as we age and have more contact with our environment, many of these good-for-us bacteria become less diverse and can become harmful to us. If there wasn’t a healthy population of microbiota in your body, that is potentially a disorder like infections or inflammatory bowel disease. Its types contain more than 30 species but some of them are listed below such as Bifidobacteria bifidum, Bifidobacteria infantis, and Bifidobacteria lactis.

• Streptococcus thermophiles: A bacterium found in the colon, Streptococcus thermophilus is one of the most studied bacteria. It produces the enzyme lactase, which the body needs to digest the sugar in milk and other dairy products. Some studies suggest that it can help prevent lactose intolerance through the production of the enzyme lactase.

• Saccharomyces boulardii: Saccharomyces boulardii is a type of yeast that acts as a probiotic. Some studies have found it helpful for preventing and treating traveler’s diarrhea, as well as diarrhea caused by antibiotics. It may also be useful for the treatment of acne, reducing the side effects of antibiotic treatment for H. pylori bacteria, and treating other urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Caution Regarding The Use Of Bacteria/ Probiotics

The FDA has not approved any probiotic products, so consumers have no way of knowing if they are safe or effective. Consumers should ask their doctor or pharmacist to recommend a product that meets applicable quality standards and guidelines. Probiotic supplements are not recommended for people with compromised immune systems. They may also be unsafe during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you have one of these conditions, it’s best to talk to your doctor before starting probiotic supplements.

It’s important to tell your doctor and pharmacist about any medication you’re taking before you try a probiotic supplement. Most probiotic supplements are safe for people with health conditions, but some types may interact with other drugs. It’s especially important to tell your doctor before using these supplements if you are pregnant or nursing, have a weakened immune system from a condition such as HIV/AIDS or cancer treatment, or if you take drugs that suppress the immune system.