The GI tract is a finely balanced environment where roughly 500 different strains of bacteria compete for space and nutrients. When there is a healthy balance (eubiosis), few symptoms exist. However, dysbiosis can occur when an overabundance of potentially harmful organisms prevail. The natural microflora balance can become disrupted by certain medications, excessive alcohol consumption, or poor dietary intake. Probiotics have been extensively studied and are characterized as having broad GI and immune benefits, including (1) increasing the population of healthy bacteria following microflora imbalance; (2) supporting healthy bowel function; (3) increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids, which provide energy to the cells of the intestinal lining; (4) strengthening the gut-immune barrier by promoting a healthy gut mucosa; (5) aiding in the digestion of difficult-to-breakdown compounds like lactose and casein; and (6) enhancing detoxification of harmful compounds. Because probiotics are live organisms, there are many challenges associated with manufacturing and distributing probiotic supplements. For a probiotic to be effective, it must be shelf-stable through the expiration date and precisely delivered to the intestinal tract, where it can have maximum benefit. The microorganisms in Probiotic 225 are protected, sealed, and freeze dried away from moisture, heat, light and oxygen. This allows the bacteria to remain dormant until they are exposed to moisture in the GI tract.