What Is the Difference Between Good Yeast & Good Bacteria?

"Good" yeast and "good" bacteria are similar in many ways--their form (single-celled organism), their function (to balance out their "bad" counterparts in the body), and even their common terminology. Both "good" yeast and "good" bacteria (known more formally as "beneficial yeast" and "beneficial bacteria") are known in the medical community as "probiotics." These probiotics are the opposite of "antibiotics," which kill all the cultures in the system to rid the body of non-beneficials instead of balancing the two forces against each other. Both are available as over-the-counter nutritional supplements.

History

• Russian Nobel laureate Élie Metchnikoff is considered to be the inventor of probiotics, though he didn't actually coin the term. His 1907 book was the first scientific exploration of the health benefits of bacteria. Metchnikoff's work inspired Japanese microbiologist Minoru Shirota to invent the first commercially available probiotic drink ('Yakult'), released in 1935. The actual term 'probiotic,' coined in the 1960s, is attributed to scientists Lilly and Stillwell. Henri Boulard discovered beneficial yeast strain Saccharomyces boulardii in 1920 in his research for an intestinal distress treatment.

Function

• Both "good bacteria" and "good yeast" have similar functions as dietary supplements. Both have traditionally been used to treat intestinal culture problems with a diarrheal symptom, especially where beneficial bacteria have been killed off during a course of antibiotics. Both stimulate enzymes in the digestive tract and work in the intestine to stimulate immune response. Additionally, probiotics prevent and treat flare-ups of "bad yeast" infections, UTI's, irritable bowel syndrome and eczema. They have oncological applications, as well: probiotics are prescribed to treat post-surgical colon inflammation and to reduce the recurrence of some bladder cancers.

Types

• Most yeasts are harmless to the body, but a number are enormously detrimental when allowed to flourish unchecked (such as candida, which causes thrush, diaper rash, and a number of other unpleasant infections). Saccharomyces boulardii is a beneficial type of yeast, as are Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir. The list of good bacteria is much longer. The most common of these include species of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria in the Lactobacillus group.

Identification

• Simply put, yeast are technically fungi and bacteria are not. Both are single-celled microorganisms. As such, they look similar under a microscope. There's no way to tell visually between good and bad bacteria by simply peeking at the untested organisms through a microscope, nor is there a way to visually identify good from bad yeast without laboratory testing. If you suspect a yeast infection or a dearth of beneficial bacteria in your system, it's best not to guess. Consult with a doctor.

Benefits

• The obvious benefits of probiotics are the gastroenterological ones; nearly everyone who's complained of diarrhea has been told to eat yogurt. However, the benefits go beyond the resolution of tummy troubles. Sufferers of Chrohn's disease are prescribed probiotics to bolster the intestine's ability to protect itself. Folks with ulcers use them for much the same reason. Women diagnosed with vaginosis use probiotics to control their urogenial bacteriofungal population. Even more interestingly, studies in the 1990s showed that probiotics stave off the development of childrens' allergies.