If you are like most people, you have probably taken an antibiotic
a number of times in your life. Antibiotics often kills "good" bacteria
in your gastrointestinal system as well as bacteria that make you ill.
Acidophilus, the best known of the "good" digestive bacteria,
helps break down complex food molecules, inhibits the growth of
harmful bacteria, and helps produce some of the B-vitamins.
It also makes lactase to digest dairy products, may lower cholesterol levels,
and some strains kill Candida yeast. Eli Metchnikoff won the Nobel Prize
in 1908 for identifying the connection between acidophilus and health and
developing probiotics as a field of study.

Their potential benefit was vividly driven home to me this week.
Several weeks ago I saw "Sally" in nursing home. She had lots of
gastrointestinal problems and her health was rapidly declining.
She was becoming very discouraged and figuring that she only had
a few months to live. I didn't see her the next week as she went from
the nursing home to a hospital. Back at the nursing home the following week,

I saw a new woman who was looking good, feeling good, and getting
healthier by the day. What happened? At the hospital her doctor decided to try a acidophilus.
Ironically, it wasn't even in the hospital's formulary and they had to go
to a nonhospital pharmacy to get it. Thank goodness she had a holistic doctor.
Ideally, antibiotics should have a warning that they may deplete naturally occurring
digestive bacteria and that these can be replaced by eating yogurt, acidophilus milk,
soy tempeh, or taking an acidophilus supplement.

It’s amazing how often when we are ill we just focus on medications to defeat
the disease and forget to consider our body's overall needs and balances.
Thinking holistically can be very helpful. In this case, it probably saved Sally's life.