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Probiotics: Good bacteria

What: Beneficial bacteria that populate the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to colon and outnumber the quantity of actual human cells in the body by a factor of perhaps as much as 1,000-to-1.

Why: From obvious benefit to gut health – diarrhea, constipation, bloating – to immunity (70 percent of the body’s innate immunity is housed in the intestinal tract), and now even cognitive function and sports performance. Is there anything these bugs can’t do?

Where: Remember when probiotics were to be found only in yogurt or supplements? Now they’re in chocolate bars, tea bags, ice cream, even breakfast cereals.