Actimal - what is it actually for?

[newfunahead]

So I've recently had bad bacteria in my system which has caused me terrible heartburn. I've been given medication from the doctor which has cleared it up but I had it again.

I'm thinking maybe actimel might help to keep it at bay long term? Is that what's used for good bacteria?

My understanding is that it's just the bacteria present in all full fat unflavoured yoghurt, but well marketed!

It contains something called probiotics which are often referred to as "good" or "friendly" bacteria as they help keep your gut healthy. There are lots of different types - some of which are found in dairy products like Actimel or yoghurts such as Activia, Total Greek etc - or in other fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir etc.
However, they don't always survive the travels to the gut and so another option is to take a supplement - there are, I believe, only two that have been shown clinically to work - they are Symprove and VSL #3 so you might want to have a look at one of those

I would also recommend you have a look at prebiotics - they feed the good bacteria (probiotics) in the gut - and you can find them in foods such as oats, asparagus, leeks, garlic, bananas, onions and jerusalem artichokes