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
• 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.

See the individual bacteria and the link on probiotics for more detailed information.

Dietary supplements