The word "bacteria" doesn’t have a healthy ring to it. You might think of them as microscopic germs that cause sickness. But that’s just one type of bacteria, and it gives all other kinds a bad reputation.

How probiotics work
Good bacteria, also known as probiotics, help keep your gut healthy by fighting off bad bacteria when there’s an imbalance.

Probiotics can keep your gut healthy and support your immune system by:

• Aiding digestion

• Regulating illness-causing bacteria

• Creating vitamins

• Controlling inflammation

• Breaking down and absorbing medications

Boost your probiotic intake
You can take probiotic supplements, but you can also just as easily ingest them through foods like yogurt, buttermilk, sourdough bread and certain cheeses and drinks like kombucha.