My son was diagnosed with severe reflux, eczema and food allergies. I have spent hundreds of hours trying to research probiotics. ALL of this information is contained right inside this powerful book. I found an absolute wealth of information and leads to help me treat my sons severe allergies. Many of the suggestions in her book have saved us time and money. And one of the most important parts is where the author helps you select a probiotic, since MUCH of what is on the market is worthless, mislabled or DEAD bacteria. People are starting to become aware of the benefits of probiotics (as other countries have known for so many years) but they are throwing their money away on products that do not even contain the strains of bacteria listed on the label or even any live bacteria at all. Although I bought the book with interest in my son's situation, there are so many other conditions discussed and I have lent this book out more times than I can count. It is also very suitable for physicians and I have had one friend use it to discuss her probiotic use during pregnancy (to prevent allergy in her baby) and I just bought another copy to give to our pediatrician (who also recommends certain reputable brands of probiotics to help treat behavioral issues) I would highly recommend this book. It will save you hundreds of hours of research and you will think of many friends and relatives who can benefit from the research it contains.

Probiotics are products containing bacteria that are beneficial to health. Digestive problems and allergies are increasing in developed countries and much of the source of these difficulties appears to lie with a poor mixture of bacteria in the intestine. Taking probiotics to remedy the imbalance is a popular approach among the general public, but very little reliable information is available.

Kelly Karpa's book remedies this by providing a readable and scientifically-sound review of current knowledge.

Dr Karpa is both a qualified pharmacist and a concerned parent, and she combines her skills to produce an admirable book. It explains the gut microflora (billions of bacteria that reside in each person's intestine) and also the evidence for probiotics improving a range of disorders.

These disorders include infectious diarrhoea (gastroenteritis, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, Clostridium difficile, traveler's diarrhoea), allergies (rhinitis, asthma, food allergies), urogenital infections (vaginitis, UTIs), and inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis).

An especially useful chapter is on how to select a good probiotic. There is also information on prebiotics, soluble dietary fibre that boosts numbers of one's existing beneficial bacteria.

The two chapters on the immune system are a bit heavy going for the general reader, but they both have a short summary and the chapters can be skipped without spoiling the rest of the book. Also, there is no index. But the book is well-structured with detailed Contents pages, so the absence of an index should not prove a major difficulty.

Despite these minor weaknesses, the book is invaluable for people with any of the listed chronic conditions as well as for health professionals who work with such patients.