Additional Information of Lactobacillus acidophilus

From medicinenet.com, here are some quotes from professors and doctors:

"They're not as tried and true as Pepto Bismol," says Gary Elmer, Ph.D., a professor of medical chemistry at the University of Washington. "But probiotics are worth a try."

The digestive tract is home to more than 400 species of bacteria. Researchers believe that at least some of these native bugs crowd out invading organisms that cause illness, by using resources that the bad bugs need and producing chemicals that kill them. Eat more of the helpful bacteria, the theory goes, and you can stave off stomach problems.

"It seems to work with the body's natural defenses to prevent the overgrowth of a bad bug," says Sherwood Gorbach, M.D., a professor of community health and medicine at Tufts University in Boston.

YES! Yogurt contains L. acidophilus but don't count on yogurt as a source for it! Here is another exerpt from medicinenet.com:Raw or unpasteurized yogurt is loaded with bacteria. But most commercial yogurt is pasteurized, a process that kills bacteria. Though a few investigators have found promise in pasteurized yogurt with live bacteria added, most research has focused on capsules containing specific strains of bacteria. "It is generally agreed that a probiotic must be capable of colonizing the intestinal tract to influence human health," says Gorbach. "This requirement disqualifies many of the strains currently used in fermented dairy products."

References:

medicinenet.com