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Probiotics are dietary supplement
Dietary supplement

A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to provide nutrients, such as vitamins, Dietary minerals, fatty acids or amino acids, that are missing or are not consumed in sufficient quantity in a person's diet ....
s of live bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
 or yeast
Yeast

Yeasts are eukaryote microorganisms classified in the Kingdom fungus, with about 1,500 species currently described; they dominate fungal diversity in the oceans....
s thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO
World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health....
, probiotics are: ‘Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host’.

Lactic acid bacteria
Lactic acid bacteria

The Lactic Acid Bacteria comprise a clade of Gram-positive, low-GuanineCytosine, acid-tolerant, generally non-sporulating, non-respiring rod or cocci that are associated by their common metabolic and physiological characteristics....
 (LAB) are the most common type of microbes used. LAB have been used in the food industry for many years, because they are able to convert sugars (including lactose
Lactose

Lactose is a sugar that is found most notably in milk. Lactose makes up around 2?8% of milk . The name comes from the Latin word for milk, plus the -ose ending used to name sugars....
) and other carbohydrates into lactic acid
Lactic acid

Lactic acid , also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in several biochemistry processes. It was first isolated in 1780 by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, and is a carboxylic acid with a chemical formula of C3H6O3....
.






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Probiotics are dietary supplement
Dietary supplement

A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to provide nutrients, such as vitamins, Dietary minerals, fatty acids or amino acids, that are missing or are not consumed in sufficient quantity in a person's diet ....
s of live bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
 or yeast
Yeast

Yeasts are eukaryote microorganisms classified in the Kingdom fungus, with about 1,500 species currently described; they dominate fungal diversity in the oceans....
s thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO
World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health....
, probiotics are: ‘Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host’.

Lactic acid bacteria
Lactic acid bacteria

The Lactic Acid Bacteria comprise a clade of Gram-positive, low-GuanineCytosine, acid-tolerant, generally non-sporulating, non-respiring rod or cocci that are associated by their common metabolic and physiological characteristics....
 (LAB) are the most common type of microbes used. LAB have been used in the food industry for many years, because they are able to convert sugars (including lactose
Lactose

Lactose is a sugar that is found most notably in milk. Lactose makes up around 2?8% of milk . The name comes from the Latin word for milk, plus the -ose ending used to name sugars....
) and other carbohydrates into lactic acid
Lactic acid

Lactic acid , also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in several biochemistry processes. It was first isolated in 1780 by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, and is a carboxylic acid with a chemical formula of C3H6O3....
. This not only provides the characteristic sour taste of fermented
Fermentation (food)

Fermentation in food processing typically refers to the conversion of sugar to alcohol using yeast under anaerobic conditions. A more general definition of fermentation is the chemical conversion of carbohydrates into alcohols or acids....
 dairy foods such as yogurt, but also, by lowering the pH
PH

pH is a measure of the Acid or Base of a solution. It is defined as the cologarithm of the Activity of dissolved hydrogen ions . Hydrogen ion activity coefficients cannot be measured experimentally, so they are based on theoretical calculations....
, may create fewer opportunities for spoilage organisms to grow, hence creating possible health benefits by preventing gastrointestinal infections
Digestive disease

All diseases that pertain to the gastrointestinal tract are labelled as digestive diseases. This includes diseases of the esophagus, stomach, first, second and third part of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, the ileo-cecal complex, large intestine sigmoid colon and rectum....
. Strains of the genera Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria. They are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group, named as such because most of its members convert lactose and other sugars to lactic acid....
 and Bifidobacterium
Bifidobacterium

Bifidobacterium is a genus of Gram-positive, non-motile, often branched Anaerobic organism bacteria. Bifidobacteria are one of the major genera of bacteria that make up the gut flora, the bacteria that reside in the Colon ....
, are the most widely used probiotic bacteria.

Probiotic bacterial cultures are intended to assist the body's naturally occurring gut flora
Gut flora

The gut flora are the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract of animals. Though widely known as the "intestinal microflora", this is technically a misnomer since the word root "flora" pertains to plants and biota refers to microbial life such as bacteria other than plants....
, an ecology
Ecology

Ecology is the science study of the distribution and Abundance of life and the interactions between organisms and their nature environment ....
 of microbes, to re-establish themselves. They are sometimes recommended by doctors, and, more frequently, by nutritionist
Nutritionist

The term nutritionist is subject to several interpretations. However, it should never be confused with the term dietitian.In many jurisdictions a nutritionist is a person who devotes professional activity to food and preventive nutrition....
s, after a course of antibiotics, or as part of the treatment for gut related candidiasis
Candidiasis

Candidiasis, commonly called yeast infection or thrush, is a fungal infection of any of the Candida species, of which Candida albicans is the most common....
. In these cases, the bacteria that work well with our bodies (see symbiosis
Symbiosis

The term symbiosis commonly describes close and often long-term interactions between different biological species. The term was first used in 1879 by the Germany mycology Heinrich Anton de Bary, who defined it as "the living together of unlike organisms"....
) may decrease in number, an event which allows harmful competitors
Competition

Competition is a rivalry between individuals, groups, nations, or animals, for territory, a niche, or allocation of resources. It arises whenever two or more parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared....
 to thrive, to the detriment of our health. Claims are made that probiotics strengthen the immune system
Immune system

An immune system is a collection of biological processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumour cells....
 to combat allergies, excessive alcohol
Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl Functional group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group....
 intake, stress
Stress (medicine)

Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or body threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined....
, exposure to toxic substances, and other diseases.

Maintenance of a healthy gut flora is, however, dependent on many factors, especially the quality of food intake.

History of probiotics

Probiotics, which means, "for life," have been used for centuries as natural components in health-promoting foods. The original observation of the positive role played by certain bacteria was first introduced by Russian scientist and Nobel laureate
Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize , established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize in Literature, and Nobel Peace Prize in 1901....
 Eli Metchnikoff, who in the beginning of the 20th century suggested that it would be possible to modify the gut flora
Gut flora

The gut flora are the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract of animals. Though widely known as the "intestinal microflora", this is technically a misnomer since the word root "flora" pertains to plants and biota refers to microbial life such as bacteria other than plants....
 and to replace harmful microbes by useful microbes. Metchnikoff, at that time a professor at the Pasteur Institute
Pasteur Institute

The Pasteur Institute is a France non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, its founder and first director, who had successfully developed the first antirabies serum in 1885....
 in Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
, produced the notion that the ageing process results from the activity of putrefactive
Putrefaction

Putrefaction is the decomposition of animal proteins, especially by Anaerobic organism, described as putrefying bacteria. Decomposition is a more general process....
 (proteolytic) microbes producing toxic substances in the large bowel. Proteolytic bacteria such as clostridia
Clostridia

The Clostridia are a class of Firmicutes, including Clostridium and other similar genera. They are distinguished from the Bacilli by lacking aerobic respiration....
, which are part of the normal gut flora, produce toxic substances including phenols
Phenols

In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl Functional group attached to an aromatic hydrocarbon group....
, indols
Indole

Indole is an aromatic Heterocyclic compound organic compound. It has a bicyclic structure, consisting of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered nitrogen-containing pyrrole ring....
 and ammonia
Ammonia

Ammonia is a chemical compound with the chemical formula nitrogenhydrogen. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor....
 from the digestion
Digestion

Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breaking down of food into smaller components, to a form that can be Absorption, for instance, by a blood stream....
 of proteins. According to Metchnikoff these compounds were responsible for what he called "intestinal auto-intoxication", which caused the physical changes associated with old age. It was at that time known that milk fermented with lactic-acid bacteria inhibits the growth of proteolytic bacteria because of the low pH
PH

pH is a measure of the Acid or Base of a solution. It is defined as the cologarithm of the Activity of dissolved hydrogen ions . Hydrogen ion activity coefficients cannot be measured experimentally, so they are based on theoretical calculations....
 produced by the fermentation of lactose
Lactose

Lactose is a sugar that is found most notably in milk. Lactose makes up around 2?8% of milk . The name comes from the Latin word for milk, plus the -ose ending used to name sugars....
. Metchnikoff had also observed that certain rural populations in Europe, for example in Bulgaria
Bulgaria

The state of Bulgaria , Scientific transliteration Balgarija, officially the Republic of Bulgaria has played a significant role in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe for over fourteen centuries....
 and the Russian Steppes who lived largely on milk fermented by lactic-acid bacteria were exceptionally long lived. Based on these facts, Metchnikoff proposed that consumption of fermented milk would "seed" the intestine
Intestine

In anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the Gastrointestinal tract extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine....
 with harmless lactic-acid bacteria and decrease the intestinal pH
PH

pH is a measure of the Acid or Base of a solution. It is defined as the cologarithm of the Activity of dissolved hydrogen ions . Hydrogen ion activity coefficients cannot be measured experimentally, so they are based on theoretical calculations....
 and that this would suppress the growth of proteolytic bacteria. Metchnikoff himself introduced in his diet sour milk fermented with the bacteria he called "Bulgarian Bacillus" and found his health benefited. Friends in Paris soon followed his example and physicians began prescribing the sour milk diet for their patients.

Henry Tissier, also from the Pasteur Institute, was the first to isolate a Bifidobacterium
Bifidobacterium

Bifidobacterium is a genus of Gram-positive, non-motile, often branched Anaerobic organism bacteria. Bifidobacteria are one of the major genera of bacteria that make up the gut flora, the bacteria that reside in the Colon ....
. He isolated the bacterium from a breast-fed
Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from human breasts rather than from a baby bottle or other container....
 infant and named it Bacillus bifidus communis. This bacterium was later renamed Bifidobacterium bifidum. Tissier showed that bifidobacteria are predominant in the gut flora of breast-fed babies, and he recommended administration of bifidobacteria to infants suffering from diarrhea
Diarrhea

In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea , is characterized by frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. The spelling of "diarrhea" is an appropriation of the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." ....
. The mechanism claimed was that bifidobacteria would displace the proteolytic bacteria that cause the disease.

German professor Alfred Nissle, in 1917, isolated a strain of Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli

'Escherichia coli' , is a Gram negative bacterium that is commonly found in the lower gastrointestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. Most E....
 from the faeces of a World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 soldier who did not develop enterocolitis
Enterocolitis

Enterocolitis is an inflammation of the Colon and small intestine. However, most conditions are categorized as one or the other of the following:...
 during a severe outbreak of shigellosis. In those days, antibiotics were not yet discovered, and Nissle used the strain with considerable success in acute cases of infectious intestinal diseases (salmonellosis
Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is an infection with Salmonella bacteria. Most persons infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal pain; 12 to 72 hours after infection....
 and shigellosis
Shigellosis

Shigellosis, also known as bacillary dysentery in its most severe manifestation, is a foodborne illness caused by infection by bacterium of the genus Shigella....
). Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 is still in use and is one of the few examples of a non-LAB probiotic.

In 1920, Rettger demonstrated that Metchnikoff's "Bulgarian Bacillus", later called Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Lactobacillus bulgaricus

Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus is one of several bacterium used for the production of yogurt. It can also be found in other naturally fermented products....
, could not live in the human intestine, and the fermented food phenomena petered out. Metchnikoff's theory was disputable (at this stage), and people doubted his theory of longevity.

After Metchnikoff’s death in 1916, the centre of activity moved to the US. It was reasoned that bacteria originating from the gut were more likely to produce the desired effect in the gut, and in 1935 certain strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus acidophilus

Lactobacillus acidophilus is one species in the genus Lactobacillus. It is sometimes used commercially together with Streptococcus salivarius and Lactobacillus bulgaricus in the production of acidophilus-type yogurt....
 were found to be very active when implanted in the human digestive tract. Trials were carried out using this organism, and encouraging results were obtained especially in the relief of chronic constipation
Constipation

Constipation, costiveness, or irregularity, is a condition of the digestive system in which a person experiences hard feces that are difficult to expel....
.

The term "probiotics" was first introduced in 1953 by Kollath (see Hamilton-Miller et al 2003). Contrasting antibiotics, probiotics were defined as microbially derived factors that stimulate the growth of other microorganisms. In 1989 Roy Fuller suggested a definition of probiotics which has been widely used: "A live microbial feed supplement which beneficially affects the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance". Fuller's definition emphasizes the requirement of viability for probiotics and introduces the aspect of a beneficial effect on the host.

In subsequent decades other Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria. They are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group, named as such because most of its members convert lactose and other sugars to lactic acid....
 species have been introduced including Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Lactobacillus rhamnosus is a probiotic bacterium that was originally considered to be a subspecies of Lactobacillus casei, but later genetic research found it to be a species of its own....
, Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus casei

Lactobacillus casei is a species of genus Lactobacillus found in the human intestine and mouth. As a lactic acid producer, it has been found to assist in the propagation of desirable bacteria....
, and Lactobacillus johnsonii, because they are intestinal species with beneficial properties.

Adverse Effects

There is no published evidence that probiotic supplements are able to completely replace the body’s natural flora when these have been killed off; indeed bacterial levels in faeces disappear within days when supplementation ceases. While the oral use of probiotics is considered safe and even recommended by World Health Organization
World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health....
 under specific guidelines , in some specific situations (such as critically ill patients) they could be potentially harmful. In one therapeutic clinical trial, a probiotic cocktail increased the death rate of patients with acute pancreatitis . Probiotics have been shown to be beneficial for other types of patients.

Potential benefits

Experiments into the benefits of probiotic therapies suggest a range of potentially beneficial medicinal uses for probiotics. For many of the potential benefits, research is limited and only preliminary results are available. It should be noted that the effects described are not general effects of probiotics. Recent research on the molecular biology and genomics of Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria. They are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group, named as such because most of its members convert lactose and other sugars to lactic acid....
 has focused on the interaction with the immune system, anti-cancer potential, and potential as a biotherapeutic agent in cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, travellers' diarrhoea, pediatric diarrhoea, inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease

In medicine, inflammatory bowel disease is a group of inflammation conditions of the colon and small intestine. The major types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.....
 and irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome , also called spastic colon, is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any organic cause....
. All effects can only be attributed to the strain(s) tested, not to the species, nor to the whole group of LAB (or other probiotics).

Managing Lactose Intolerance
As lactic acid bacteria actively convert lactose
Lactose

Lactose is a sugar that is found most notably in milk. Lactose makes up around 2?8% of milk . The name comes from the Latin word for milk, plus the -ose ending used to name sugars....
 into lactic acid
Lactic acid

Lactic acid , also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in several biochemistry processes. It was first isolated in 1780 by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, and is a carboxylic acid with a chemical formula of C3H6O3....
, ingestion of certain active strains may help lactose intolerant individuals tolerate more lactose than what they would have otherwise. In practice probiotics are not specifically targeted for this purpose, as most are relatively low in lactase activity as compared to the normal yogurt bacteria.

Prevention of Colon Cancer
In laboratory investigations, some strains of LAB have demonstrated anti-mutagenic effects thought to be due to their ability to bind with heterocyclic amines
Heterocyclic amines

Heterocyclic amines, also sometime referred to as HCAs, contain both heterocyclic and amine groups. While some heterocycles are amines themselves, the amines indicated in the name are those attached to the heterocyclic ring....
, which are carcinogenic substances formed in cooked meat. Animal studies have demonstrated that some LAB can protect against colon cancer in rodents, though human data is limited and conflicting. Most human trials have found that the strains tested may exert anti-carcinogenic effects by decreasing the activity of an enzyme called ß-glucuronidase (which can generate carcinogens in the digestive system). Lower rates of colon cancer among higher consumers of fermented dairy products have been observed in some population studies.

Cholesterol Lowering
Animal studies have demonstrated the efficacy of a range of LAB to be able to lower serum cholesterol
Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a lipidic, waxy alcohol found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is an essential component of mammalian cell membranes where it is required to establish proper membrane permeability and membrane fluidity....
 levels, presumably by breaking down bile
Bile

Bile or gall is a bitter yellow or green fluid secreted by hepatocytes from the liver of most vertebrates. In many species, bile is stored in the gallbladder between meals and upon eating is discharged into the duodenum where the bile aids the process of digestion of lipids....
 in the gut, thus inhibiting its reabsorption (which enters the blood as cholesterol). Some, but not all human trials have shown that dairy foods fermented with specific LAB can produce modest reductions in total and LDL cholesterol levels in those with normal levels to begin with, however trials in hyperlipidemic subjects are needed.

Lowering Blood Pressure
Several small clinical trials have shown that consumption of milk fermented with various strains of LAB can result in modest reductions in blood pressure
Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as it moves away from the heart through artery and capillary, and toward the heart through veins....
. It is thought that this is due to the ACE inhibitor
ACE inhibitor

ACE inhibitors, or inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme, are a group of pharmaceuticals that are used primarily in treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure, in some cases as the drugs of first choice....
-like peptides produced during fermentation.

Improving Immune Function and Preventing Infections
LAB are thought to have several presumably beneficial effects on immune function. They may protect against pathogens by means of competitive inhibition
Competitive inhibition

Competitive inhibition is a form of enzyme inhibitor where binding of the inhibitor to the enzyme prevents binding of the substrate and vice versa....
 (i.e., by competing for growth) and there is evidence to suggest that they may improve immune function by increasing the number of IgA
IGA

IGA may stand for:Acronyms* Islamic Golden Age, also known as the Islamic Renaissance* Irish Games Association* International Gamers Award...
-producing plasma cells, increasing or improving phagocytosis
Phagocytosis

File:Phagocytosis in three steps.pngPhagocytosis is the cell process of Phagocytes and Protists of engulfing solid particles by the cell membrane to form an internal phagosome, which is a food vacuole, or pteroid....
 as well as increasing the proportion of T lymphocytes and Natural Killer cells. Clinical trials have demonstrated that probiotics may decrease the incidence of respiratory tract infections and dental caries
Dental caries

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay, is a disease where bacterial processes damage hard tooth structure . These tissues progressively break down, producing dental cavities ....
 in children. LAB foods and supplements have been shown to be effective in the treatment and prevention of acute diarrhea
Diarrhea

In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea , is characterized by frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. The spelling of "diarrhea" is an appropriation of the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." ....
, and in decreasing the severity and duration of rotavirus
Rotavirus

Rotavirus is a genus of double-stranded RNA virus in the family Reoviridae. It is the leading single cause of Diarrhea among infants and young children....
 infections in children and travelers' diarrhea in adults. Recently, clear immune enhancing effect of probiotics is demonstrated in the gut of healthy subjects. In a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover study, healthy volunteers ingested either live probiotic cells (Lactobacillus plantarum), inactivated cells of the same probiotic, or a placebo. Gene expression analysis of biopsies from the duodenum has shown clearly the effect of the live probiotic on cellular processes. These processes activate the immune system enabling it to play its protective role (the immune response).

Helicobacter pylori
LAB are also thought to aid in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori
Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, microaerophile bacterium that inhabits various areas of the stomach and duodenum. It causes a chronic low-level inflammation of the stomach lining and is strongly linked to the development of duodenal and gastric peptic ulcers and stomach cancer bacteria....
 infections (which cause peptic ulcers) in adults when used in combination with standard medical treatments.

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
A meta-analysis suggested probiotics may reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea. A subsequent randomized controlled trial also found benefit in elderly patients.

In a randomized clinical trial, published in 2007, a University of Montreal team of pharmacologists demonstrated that lactobacilli-fermented solution can be effective in AAD prevention in hospitalized patients”.

Reducing Inflammation
LAB foods and supplements have been found to modulate inflammatory and hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity

Hypersensitivity refers to undesirable reactions produced by the normal immune system. Hypersensitivity reactions require a pre-sensitized state of the host....
 responses, an observation thought to be at least in part due to the regulation of cytokine
Cytokine

Cytokines are a category of signaling molecules that, like hormones and neurotransmitters, are used extensively in cell communication. They are proteins, peptides or glycoproteins....
 function. Clinical studies suggest that they can prevent reoccurrences of inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease

In medicine, inflammatory bowel disease is a group of inflammation conditions of the colon and small intestine. The major types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.....
 in adults, as well as improve milk allergies. They are not effective for treating eczema
Eczema

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions....
, a persistent skin inflammation.

Improving Mineral Absorption
It is hypothesized that probiotic lactobacilli may help correct malabsorption of trace minerals, found particularly in those with diets high in phytate content from whole grains, nuts
Nut (fruit)

Nut is a general term for the large, dry, oily seed or fruit of some plant. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts....
, and legumes.

Prevents Harmful Bacterial Growth Under Stress
In a study done to see the effects of stress on intestinal flora, rats that were fed probiotics had little occurrence of harmful bacteria latched onto their intestines compared to rats that were fed sterile water.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Colitis
B. infantis 35624, sold as Align, was found to improve some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in women in a recent study. Another probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus plantarum 299V, was also found to be effective in reducing IBS symptoms. Additionally, a probiotic formulation, VSL3, was found to be safe in treating ulcerative colitis, though efficacy in the study was uncertain. Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 may help.

Synbiotics

As probiotics are mainly active in the small intestine and prebiotics are only effective in the large intestine, the combination of the two may give a synergistic effect. Appropriate combinations of pre- and probiotics are synbiotics.

Strains

The most common form for probiotics are dairy products and probiotic fortified foods. However, tablets, capsules, powders and sachets containing the bacteria in freeze dried form are also available.

Proven probiotic strains. Sources: and
Strain Brandname Producer Proven effect in humans
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 Chr. Hansen
Chr. Hansen

Chr. Hansen is a Denmark food production company . They sell a wide variety of pharmaceutical grade exipients and want you to take a seat right over there....
 		 
Bifidobacterium breve Yakult Bifiene Yakult
Yakult

is a Japanese probiotic milk-like product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk with a special strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus casei Shirota....
 		 
Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 Align Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble Co. is a Fortune 500, United States multinational corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, that manufactures a wide range of Fast moving consumer goods....
 		 
Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 (DR10) Howaru Bifido Danisco
Danisco

Danisco A/S is a Denmark food production company . They sell a wide variety of pharmaceutical grade excipients. Headquartered in Copenhagen, the group employs approximately 10,000 employees in more than 40 countries and reported revenue of Danish krone 20.36 billion in 2006/07....
 		 
Bifidobacterium longum BB536 Morinaga Milk Industry
Morinaga Milk Industry

is a milk products and sweets company in Tokyo, Japan, in operation since September 1, 1917. Their products include milk products, drinks, candy, and Confectionery....
 		 
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli

'Escherichia coli' , is a Gram negative bacterium that is commonly found in the lower gastrointestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. Most E....
 M-17 		ProBactrix BioBalance  
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli

'Escherichia coli' , is a Gram negative bacterium that is commonly found in the lower gastrointestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. Most E....
 Nissle 1917 		Mutaflor Ardeypharm  
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus acidophilus

Lactobacillus acidophilus is one species in the genus Lactobacillus. It is sometimes used commercially together with Streptococcus salivarius and Lactobacillus bulgaricus in the production of acidophilus-type yogurt....
 DDS-1 		Nebraska Cultures  
Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 Chr. Hansen
Chr. Hansen

Chr. Hansen is a Denmark food production company . They sell a wide variety of pharmaceutical grade exipients and want you to take a seat right over there....
 		 
Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM Danisco
Danisco

Danisco A/S is a Denmark food production company . They sell a wide variety of pharmaceutical grade excipients. Headquartered in Copenhagen, the group employs approximately 10,000 employees in more than 40 countries and reported revenue of Danish krone 20.36 billion in 2006/07....
 		 
Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus casei

Lactobacillus casei is a species of genus Lactobacillus found in the human intestine and mouth. As a lactic acid producer, it has been found to assist in the propagation of desirable bacteria....
 DN114-001 (Lactobacillus casei Immunitas(s)/Defensis)		Actimel
Actimel

First launched in Europe in 1994, Actimel is a 'probiotic' yoghurt-type drink produced by the French company Danone. It is sold in 100ml bottles, typically as an 8, 6 or 4 pack, but more recently as a 12 or 16 pack....
/DanActive 		Danone  
Lactobacillus casei CRL431 Chr. Hansen
Chr. Hansen

Chr. Hansen is a Denmark food production company . They sell a wide variety of pharmaceutical grade exipients and want you to take a seat right over there....
 		 
Lactobacillus casei F19 Cultura Arla Foods
Arla Foods

Arla Foods is a Swedish-Danish cooperative based in ?rhus, Denmark, and the largest producer of dairy products in Scandinavia. Arla was formed as the result of a merger between the Sweden dairy cooperative Arla and the Danish dairy company MD Foods on 17 April 2000....
 		 Improves digestive health, immune stimulation, reduces antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, induces satiety, metabolizes body fat, reduces weight gain
Lactobacillus casei Shirota Yakult Yakult
Yakult

is a Japanese probiotic milk-like product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk with a special strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus casei Shirota....
 		 
Lactobacillus paracasei St11 (or NCC2461) Lactobacillus fortis Nestlé
Nestlé

Nestl? is a Multinational corporation packaged food company founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, and listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange with a turnover of over 87 billion Swiss francs....
 		 
Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 (= Lactobacillus LC1) Nestlé
Nestlé

Nestl? is a Multinational corporation packaged food company founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, and listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange with a turnover of over 87 billion Swiss francs....
 		 
Lactococcus lactis
Lactococcus lactis

Lactococcus lactis is a Gram-positive bacterium used extensively in the production of buttermilk and cheese. L. lactis are cocci that group in pairs and short chains, and depending on growth conditions appears ovoid with typically 0.5 - 1.5 micrometre in length....
 L1A 		Norrmejerier Immune stimulation, improves digestive health, reduces antibiotic-associated diarrhoea
Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus plantarum

Lactobacillus plantarum is a widespread member of the genus Lactobacillus, commonly found in many fermented food products as well as anaerobic plant matter....
 299V 		GoodBelly / ProViva/ TuZen NextFoods Probi Ferring
Ferring

Ferring is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is part of the built-up area of Worthing and is located on the A259 road three miles west of the town....
 		 
Lactobacillus reuteri
Lactobacillus reuteri

'Lactobacillus reuteri' is a Gram-positive bacterium that naturally inhabits the gut of mammals and birds. First described in the early 1980s, some strains of L....
 ATTC
American Type Culture Collection

The American Type Culture Collection is a private, not-for-profit biology resource center whose mission focuses on the acquisition, authentication, production, preservation, development and distribution of standard reference microorganisms, cell lines and other materials for research in the life sciences....
 55730 (Lactobacillus reuteri SD2112)		 BioGaia Biologics Diarrhea prevention and mitigation in children, eradication of H. pylori infection, amelioration of gingivitis
Gingivitis

Gingivitis around the teeth is a general term for gingival diseases affecting the gingiva . As generally used, the term gingivitis refers to gingival inflammation induced by bacterial biofilms adherent to tooth surfaces....
, general illness prevention in children and adults.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Lactobacillus rhamnosus is a probiotic bacterium that was originally considered to be a subspecies of Lactobacillus casei, but later genetic research found it to be a species of its own....
 ATCC 53013 (discovered by Gorbach & Goldin(=LGG)) 		Vifit and others Valio
Valio

Valio is one of the biggest companies in Finland and mostly produces dairy products such as cheese, powdered ingredients, butter, yoghurt and milk....
 		 
Lactobacillus rhamnosus LB21 Verum Norrmejerier Immune stimulation, improves digestive health, reduces antibiotic-associated diarrhoea
Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118  
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of budding yeast. It is perhaps the most useful yeast owing to its use since ancient times in baking and brewing....
 (boulardii) lyo 		DiarSafe and others Wren Laboratories and others against antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and Clostridium difficile infections; to treat acute diarrhoea in adults & children...
tested as mixture:
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 & Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 		Bion Flore Intime Jarrow Fem-DophilusChr. Hansen
Chr. Hansen

Chr. Hansen is a Denmark food production company . They sell a wide variety of pharmaceutical grade exipients and want you to take a seat right over there....
 Oral ingestion results in vaginal colonisation and prevention of vaginitis
tested as mixture:
mixture of 8 strains of Streptococcus thermophilus & four Lactobacillus spp & three Bifidobacterium spp strains		VSL#3 Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  
tested as mixture:
Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL60 & Bifidobacterium bifidum CUL 20 		 
tested as mixture:
Lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285 & Lactobacillus casei 		BioK Plus Bio-K+ International Improves digestive health. Prevents Antiobic Associated Diarrhea (AAD) and Clostridium Difficile (C Difficile).
In vitro inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes and L. innocua, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium.
Reduction of symptoms of lactose intolerance and immune stimulation.
Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 & Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 A'Biotica and others Institut Rosell  
Proprietary blend of the following 16 strains:
Bifidobacterium bifidum
Bifidobacterium breve
Bifidobacterium infantis
Bifidobacterium lactis
Bifidobacterium longum
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus brevis
Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus gasseri
Lactobacillus paracasei
Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Lactobacillus salivarius
Lactococcus lactis
Streptococcus
thermophilus 		Flora Source® Multi-Probiotic®


Some commonly used bacteria in products, but without probiotic effect (yoghurt bacteria):
  • Lactobacillus bulgaricus
    Lactobacillus bulgaricus

    Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus is one of several bacterium used for the production of yogurt. It can also be found in other naturally fermented products....
  • Streptococcus thermophilus
    Streptococcus thermophilus

    Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus is a Gram-positive Facultative anaerobic organism. It is a cytochrome-, oxidase- and catalase-negative organism that is nonmotile, non-spore forming and homofermentative....


Some other bacteria mentioned in probiotic products:
  • Bacillus coagulans
    Bacillus coagulans

    Bacillus coagulans is a lactic acid forming bacterial species within the genus Bacillus. The organism was first isolated and described in 1932 and was elaborated in the fifth edition of Bergey?s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology....
  • Lactobacillus bifidus
    Bifidobacterium

    Bifidobacterium is a genus of Gram-positive, non-motile, often branched Anaerobic organism bacteria. Bifidobacteria are one of the major genera of bacteria that make up the gut flora, the bacteria that reside in the Colon ....
     - became new genus Bifidobacterium


Some fermented products containing similar lactic acid bacteria include:
  • Pickled vegetables, ,
  • Fermented bean paste
    Fermented bean paste

    Fermented bean paste is a category of Fermentation typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East Asia and Southeast Asia....
     such as tempeh
    Tempeh

    Tempeh, or tempe in Javanese language, is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form....
    , miso
    Miso

    is a traditional Japanese cuisine produced by fermentation rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy....
     and doenjang
    Doenjang

    Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermentation soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean language....
  • Kefir
    Kefir

    Kefir is a Fermentation milk drink that originated in the Caucasus region. It is prepared by inoculating Cattle, goat, or sheep's milk with kefir grains....
     
  • Kimchi
    Kimchi

    Kimchi, also spelled gimchi or kimchee, is a traditional Korean pickled dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings, most commonly referring to the spicy baechu variety....
     ,
  • Kombucha
    Kombucha

    Kombucha is the Western name for sweetened tea or tisane that has been fermentation using a macroscopic solid mass of microorganisms called a "kombucha colony"....
     
  • Pao cai
    Pao cai

    Pao cai is a type of Pickling, usually pickled cabbage, often found in Chinese cuisine, and particularly Szechuan cuisine cuisine. It is most common to northern and western China; however, there is also a unique form of pao cai, called suan cai, which is prominent in Northeast China....
     
  • Sauerkraut
    Sauerkraut

    File:Kiszona kapusta.JPGSauerkraut is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermentation by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus....
  • Soy sauce
    Soy sauce

    Soy sauce , soya sauce , or shoyu is a fermentation sauce made from soybeans , roasted cereal, water and Sodium chloride. Soy sauce was invented in China, where it has been used as a condiment for close to 2,500 years....
  • Tempeh
    Tempeh

    Tempeh, or tempe in Javanese language, is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form....
  • Zha cai
    Zha cai

    Zha cai is a type of Pickling mustard stem originating from Sichuan, China. Other transliterations might include cha tsai, tsa tsai ; or jar choy, jar choi, ja choi, ja choy, or cha tsoi ....


Research

Research about probiotics shows both benefits and harm.

A study in 2004 testing the immune system of students given either milk or Actimel over a 6 week exam period (3 weeks of studying, 3 weeks of exams) tested 19 different biomarkers. Of these 19 biomarkers only 2 were shown to be different between the two groups, increased production of lymphocytes and increased production of CD56 cells. The tests were not blind and show that probiotics have no overall effect on the immune system or on its ability.

A 2007 study at University College Cork in Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
 showed that a diet including milk fermented with Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria. They are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group, named as such because most of its members convert lactose and other sugars to lactic acid....
 bacteria prevented Salmonella
Salmonella

Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped Gram-negative enterobacteriaceae that causes typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and the foodborne illness salmonellosis....
 infection in pigs.

A 2007 clinical study at Imperial College London
Imperial College London

Imperial College London is a United Kingdom university in London that focuses primarily on science, engineering, medicine and business.Imperial is regularly placed in the top three in the Times National University League Table along with Oxford and Cambridge....
 showed that preventive consumption of a commercially available probiotic drink containing L casei DN-114001, L bulgaricus, and S thermophilus can reduce the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and C difficile-associated diarrhea.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled therapeutic study on the effects of a probiotic cocktail on pancreatitis
Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. See also acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis for more details....
 at University Medical Center Utrecht
University Medical Center Utrecht

The Universitary Medical Center Utrecht or UMCU is the main hospital of the city of Utrecht . It is affiliated with the Universiteit Utrecht....
 (UMC), 24 out of 296 patients died between 2004 and 2007, with more deaths among those receiving the probiotic cocktail directly in the intestine. According to the spokesman of UMC, it is likely that some of these deaths would not have occurred without the probiotics, although other therapeutic trials conducted on probiotics were more positively conclusive .

The efficacy and safety of a daily dose of Lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285 in the prevention of AAD was demonstrated by Montreal’s Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, in a clinical study of hospitalized patients.

See also

  • Prebiotic (nutrition)
    Prebiotic (nutrition)

    Prebiotics are a category of functional food, defined as:This was updated by Roberfroid in 2007 J. Nutr.; 137:830S to: "A prebiotic is ??a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-being and health.?? Today, on...


External links