You’re not the only one digesting your lunch—so are your microbes. Every time you eat, an entire ecosystem inside your gut gets to work, breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and boosting your immune system. Probiotics, live microorganisms found in certain bacteria and yeasts, are at the heart of this process. But understanding how they function (and why you should care) can be more complicated than it seems.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of medical conditions that cause inflammation (swelling) of the digestive system, which includes the stomach, small and large intestines, and esophagus, or “food pipe”. The main forms of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD should not be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a less serious […]