Probiotics For Dummies

Discover the pros of probiotics

Also known as "friendly" or "good" bacteria, probiotics are fast becoming an important component of a successful health program. This hands–on, friendly guide gives you everything you need to make informed decisions about adding probiotics to your daily diet.

Put the "pro" in probiotics — find out the scientific foundations for probiotics′ role in combating disease and promoting health

Microbes 101 — get the scoop on how your digestive system works and the ways friendly and unfriendly microbes affect your body

Here′s to your health — discover how probiotics may fight a wide array of ailments and diseases, such as heart disease and cancer

Start cookin′ — try two dozen delicious, probiotic–rich entree, snack, and dessert recipes

Open the book and find:

How prebiotics and probiotics work together

The scoop on digestive health

Advice on balancing probiotics and nutrition

More than 20 recipes and a plan for infusing probiotics into your diet

Common misperceptions about probiotics

The role of probiotics in allergies, infections, gastrointestinal disorders, women′s health and more

Learn to:

Bolster your immune system against disease

Alleviate allergies and asthma

Keep a proper bacterial balance

Improve the health of your digestive tract

Introduction 1

Part I: Living in the Microbial World 7

Chapter 1: Getting a Handle on the True Nature of Bacteria 9

Chapter 2: Looking at Bacterial Behavior in Your Body 19

Chapter 3: Discovering Prebiotics and Probiotics 31

Part II: Preserving and Improving Health with Probiotics 45

Chapter 4: Starting with the Obvious: Digestive Health 47

Chapter 5: Exploring Allergies and Probiotics 65

Chapter 6: Getting to the Bottom of Urinary Infections 75

Chapter 7: Using Probiotics in Women’s Health 81

Chapter 8: Understanding Children’s Health and Probiotics 87

Chapter 9: Applying Probiotics to Other Health Issues 93

Chapter 10: Exploring the Promise of Probiotics 105

Part III: Adding Probiotics to Your Lifestyle 113

Chapter 11: Filling Your Diet with Probiotics 115

Chapter 12: Cooking Up Delicious Probiotic–Rich Meals 125

Part IV: The Part of Tens 153

Chapter 13: Ten (Or So) Ways Probiotics Promote Good Health 155

Chapter 14: Ten Misconceptions about Probiotics 161

Chapter 15: Ten (Or So) Famous Bacteria 167

Index 175

Dr. Shekhar K. Challa is president of Kansas Medical Clinic. Board Certified in Gastroenterology, he is an award–winning author and co–creator of the first probiotic video game (MicrowarriorsVideoGame.com). Find out more about Dr. Challa at DrChalla.com.