Probiotics are generally defined as microorganisms that, when consumed, generally confer a health benefit on humans. There is considerable interest in probiotics for a variety of medical conditions, and millions of people around the world consume probiotics daily for perceived health benefits. Lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and lactococci have generally been regarded as safe. There are 3 theoret...

Probiotics are the live microbial food/feed supplements which benefit the host when administered in a certain number. Probiotics have been within our domestic use for as long as people have consumed fermented milk, curd, butter milk, but their association with health benefits dates only from the turn of the last century, when Metchnikoff drew attention to the health promoting effects of some gu...

Bottom line Probiotics reduce the incidence of CDAD in patients taking antibiotics, with a number needed to treat (NNT) of 26. However, in a recent, high-quality, publicly funded study, probiotics were not beneficial in elderly inpatients. The influence of funding on study results, as well as the ideal product, duration of therapy, and safety of probiotics (particularly in immunocompromised pat...

BACKGROUND Probiotics increase beneficial microbiota and improve chronic conditions, such as atopic diseases, irritable bowel disease, and obesity. However, because there are so many probiotics, it is unknown which probiotics might have more of an effect on intestinal microbiota. OBJECTIVE To understand how two different types of probiotics influence human intestinal microbiota, human fecal m...

BACKGROUND Probiotic products that may modify the intestinal microbiota are becoming increasingly available and known to consumers due to their potential to prevent or treat many pediatric health conditions. As scientific knowledge of the health benefits of probiotics increases, it is important to identify factors that may prevent their successful integration into patient care as well as to ens...

13 Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. The biologic effects of individual probiotics vary and each should be rigorously evaluated in a controlled fashion to define potential clinical utility. The mechanisms of action vary from probiotic to probiotic. Many probiotics help balance the intestinal microflora. Some can ...

The etiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is thought to be multifactorial, with several factors (including alterations in gut motility, small-bowel bacterial overgrowth, microscopic inflammation, and visceral hypersensitivity) potentially playing a role. Recent studies have suggested that probiotics may be useful in the treatment of IBS. Although the exact mechanism for how probiotics may ...

As more is learned about the importance of the intestinal microbiome to human health there is increasing interest in the potential benefits of probiotics. Probiotics are live micro-organisms which, when consumed in adequate amounts, confer a health effect on the host by altering its microflora. Probiotics have been administered both prophylactically and therapeutically for various conditions. T...

There is increased investigation of the human microbiome as it relates to health and disease. Dysbiosis is implicated in various clinical conditions including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Probiotics have been explored as a potential treatment for IBD and other diseases. The mechanism of action for probiotics has yet to be fully elucidated. This paper discusses novel mechanisms of action fo...

Administration of probiotics to premature newborns has been shown to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis and reduce all-cause mortality. In our hospital, we documented 2 cases of Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis bacteremia in newborns receiving probiotics. By comparative genomics, we confirmed that the strains isolated from each patient originated from the probiotics.