Sorry if I sound uneducated - but what exactly is probiotics - I hear it used everywhere but totally clueless what it is and why we need it

It is the latest fad to have hit the health conscious. Our gut needs a good balance of good and bad bacteria for proper digestion and gut health. But many times our improper diets full of food high on fats may be lacking good bacteria and can result in a sluggish digestion. This is when probiotics come into play in boosting the good bacteria in your digestive tract. They have loads of other benefits as well.

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that keeps our gut moving. They help in digestion and fight the bad bacteria. The food they feed on is prebiotics. I'm often confused by these 2 terms. http://www.parenting.com/article/ask-dr-sears-probiotics-during-pregnancy

thanks