I’ve heard the words “good bacteria” so much during this year’s very active cold and flu season.

But what exactly is so “good” about these bacteria? I get this question a lot as confusion about probiotics and prebiotics is pretty common, even among health professionals.

Recently I was asked by the Lempert Report’s monthly Food, Science, and Nutrition newsletter to help shed some light on the topic in the . Here’s a short excerpt.

A Pre- and Probiotic Primer

“The terms pre- and probiotics are often – albeit incorrectly – used synonymously. While both benefit digestive health, they do so in different ways:

* Probiotics aid the gut by increasing the number of helpful bacteria, and inhibiting harmful bacteria, and may strengthen the body’s immune response.

* Prebiotics, on the other hand, act as the “food” for these beneficial probiotic bacteria, enhancing their activity. Prebiotics also encourage the absorption of bone-strengthening minerals like calcium and magnesium due to the way they are digested.”

Click here to read the full article.

…And just in case you’re wondering, yes Chobani Greek Yogurt does contain “good bacteria.” Each cup has three unique strains of probiotcs:

1. L. Casei
2. L. Acidophilus
3. Bifidus