I have a digestive system that is screwed up enough that I am disabled and limited in my ability to function in any fashion. My gastroentorologist reccommended probiotics because of the success other patients of his had experienced. He admitted he knew nothing about them. I was able to get in contact with a nutrionist who got me on them. The nutrionist had had similar problems plus rheumatory arthritis. The probiotics enabled him to get control of the digestive problems and seem to have helped with the arthritis too. I was fortunate to have a doctor and nutrionist that worked together