Acidophilus
Acidophilus is a general name for a group of probiotics, often added to milk or sold as a capsule, which contains one or more of the following bacteria which aid in digestion: -
- Lactobacillus acidophilus (A)
- Lactobacillus casei (C)
- Lactobacillus bulgaricus (L)
- Bifidobacterium bifidum (B)
- Streptococcus thermophilus
Only L. acidophilus is the true acidophilus strain, but many producers (mainly in the US) use it as a more generic name for mixtures of bacteria, one of which is L. acidophilus.
Acidophilus can be found in some quality yogurts and other traditional foods naturally.[citation needed]
See the individual bacteria and the link on probiotics for more detailed information.