FOOD AS THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE AS THY FOOD : hippocrates

EVERYONE NEEDS TO TAKE PROBIOTICS, YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. Beneficial Bacteria: An Army of Billions
When you are healthy, over 100 trillion microorganisms, from some 400 different species, flourish in your intestinal tract, aiding in digestion, absorption, and the production of significant amounts of B vitamins and enzymes. But more importantly, they crowd out all harmful bacteria -- allowing them no place to gain a foothold.
Unfortunately, the levels of beneficial bacteria decline dramatically as the human body ages. Some of the reasons for this decline include:

Over time, the colonies of friendly bacteria just naturally age and lose their vitality
Disruptions and changes in the acid/alkaline balance of the bowels can play a major role in reducing the growth of beneficial bacteria. In addition, these changes tend to favor the growth of harmful viral and fungal organisms as well as putrefactive, disease-causing bacteria
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like Advil, Motrin, Midol, etc. are destructive to intestinal flora
Chlorine in the drinking water not only serves to kill bacteria in the water; it is equally devastating to the colonies of beneficial bacteria living in the intestines.
Radiation and chemotherapy are devastating to your inner bacterial environment.
Virtually all meat and chicken and dairy that you eat (other than organic) is loaded with antibiotics, which destroy ALL of the beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract.
A diet high in meats and fats, because they take so long to break down in the human body, promotes the growth of the harmful, putrefying bacteria.
Constipation, of course, allows harmful bacteria to hang around longer, which allows them to proliferate.
Cigarettes, alcohol, and stress are also major culprits -- as are some antibiotic herbs, such as goldenseal (if taken in sufficient quantity).
And if you've ever been subjected to a round of "medicinal" antibiotics, you can kiss your beneficial bacteria good-bye. The problem is that antibiotics indiscriminately destroy both bad and GOOD bacteria -- allowing virulent, mutant strains of harmful microorganisms to emerge and run rampant inside the body. Antibiotics (both medicinal and in our food supply) are the #1 culprit in the overgrowth of HARMFUL pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract (a condition called dysbiosis) that may be at the root of many autoimmune disorders and certain cancers.
The Bottom Line to Immunity
A properly functioning intestinal tract is one of your body's first lines of defense against invaders and a healthy immune system. In a healthy colon there are, on average, anywhere from 100 billion to 1,000 billion beneficial bacteria per milliliter (about 1/5 of a teaspoon) that literally consume harmful bacteria and other invaders. In the typical American, because of poor diet and neglect of the colon, the beneficial bacteria count may be as low as 4 or 5 per milliliter. Just compare 1,000 billion to 4, and you'll have an understanding of the scope of the problem. Many researchers now believe that declining levels of friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract may actually mark the onset of chronic degenerative disease and a suppressed immune system.