A REVIEW PAPER ON HEALTH BENEFITS FROM PROBIOTICS

Abstract

Bacteria have a reputation for causing disease, so the idea of tossing down a few billion a day for your health might seem — literally and figuratively — hard to swallow. But a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that you can treat and even prevent some illnesses with foods and supplements containing certain kinds of live bacteria. Northern Europeans consume a lot of these beneficial microorganisms, called probiotics (from pro and biota, meaning “for life”), because of their tradition of eating foods fermented with bacteria, such as yogurt. Probiotic−laced beverages are also big business in Japan.

Probiotics are organisms such as bacteria or yeast that are believed to improve health. They are available in supplements and foods. The digestive system is home to more than 500 different types of bacteria. They help keep the intestines healthy and assist in digesting food. The most compelling evidence for the use of probiotics is in reducing the duration of infectious infant viral diarrhea, a frequent cause of infant morbidity in developing countries. Usually managed by rehydration therapy, there is growing evidence to support the use of probiotics as a complementary therapy. Specific probiotic strains or mixtures have been shown to reduce the disease time frame by as much as two days, a significant effect.