Diarrhea is defined as passing loose or watery stools 3 or more times a day. Many people get diarrhea a few times a year. Generally, most incidences will be resolved after a day or two. It is usually enough just to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

However, diarrhea in babies, young children and elderly can quickly become dangerous as they are at risk of dehydration and this will lead to life threatening conditions.

Common causes of diarrhea include:

• Food poisoning from food contaminated by a virus or bacteria
• Travelers’ diarrhea
• Inflammation of the gut lining
• Some medications that disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut, including antibiotics

Probiotics, also known as the good bacteria, are the health enhancing bacteria which help reestablish the gastrointestinal beneficial micro flora and alleviate heath disorders.

Probiotics have shown to play a role in preventing and treating diarrhea. Studies have shown that probiotics help to shorten the duration of diarrhea and reduce stool frequency, in other words it made the diarrhea go away faster.

During an infection, bad bacteria enter our body and increase in number. Moreover, antibiotics will also kill off bacteria in our gut, whether it is good or bad bacteria. Besides, traveling exposes us to many types of microorganisms that are not typically introduced to our digestive system, which can also cause diarrhea. All these will knock our gastrointestinal micro flora out of balance.

Probiotics help to fight off the bad bacteria and restore the balance of normal flora in our gut, making us feel better.