Probiotics are the “good bacteria” in our bodies. Many people ingest additional probiotics to promote good health.

Foods like yogurt and pickles contain probiotic properties that foster good digestion.

New research is exploring other potential benefits of probiotics. A study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience showed that Alzheimer’s patients who consumed a probiotic milk for 12 weeks showed improved cognitive abilities compared with a control group that consumed milk without probiotics.

The group receiving the probiotic also had improved measures of inflammation and fat levels in the blood.

These results suggest that improvements in metabolic function from probiotics could influence cognitive abilities.

The number of subjects in the study was relatively small — a total of 52 patients completed the investigation — but the results deserve further exploration.