Good for treating diarrhea. This is the number-one use for probiotics. Gastroenteritis (stomach flu) and diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics can be helped using various pharmacy-bought bacteria. They can reduce the length of such a bout of diarrhea by about a day. At the same time, unlike most diarrhea medications, they are almost free of side effects. That means they are particularly suitable for small children and old people. In conditions like ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, probiotics can increase the intervals between diarrhea attacks or inflammatory flare-ups.
