Probiotics & Health

“Probiotics" refers to dietary supplements or foods that contain beneficial bacteria that are similar to those normally found in your body. Probiotics comprise a large number of different strains of bacteria and other microorganisms, such as yeasts. When taken in adequate amounts, these live microorganisms can provide same health benefits that the bacteria already existing in your body do.

Probiotics have been consumed by people for may years, and are now widely available in various forms, including capsules and dairy products, such as yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, miso, and also in some juices and soy drinks. Presently, there is widespread confusion amongst consumers of probiotics.

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has published a scientific review - Probiotics and health: a review of the evidence. According to Dr Elisabeth Weichselbaum, author of the review, after examining around 100 original research studies and reviews on probiotics and health claims, that probiotics taken as foods or supplements can help treat or prevent illness. The research also finds evidence that probiotics may help: inflammatory bowel disease; irritable bowel syndrome; constipation, acute and antibiotic-associated diarrhea; the common cold; allergy and many other illnesses.

The scientific review has been closely reviewed and now appears in the December issue of the Nutrition Bulletin.

Probiotics encompass a wide range of bacterial strains:
Health effects may be specific to a single strain of bacteria. Therefore, each single strain has to be tested for each single health outcome. According to scientific research, BNF, it has investigated the effects of many different probiotic strains on different health outcomes. ( ie. indicating which strains have been shown to be effective for different health outcomes).

Probiotics must be taken regularly:
Probiotics needs to be taken regularly to help survive the harsh conditions during their passage through the intestinal tract. Once they reach the gut, they become established and then influences the balance of the gut microflora.

Probiotics dosage:
It is important to consider the required dose of probiotics in order to allow it to establish in the gut microflora, and to exert its health effect.The results of the review show the health benefits of probiotics in some areas. The results have been summarised in a series of BNF factsheets (see attachments).