Probiotic

Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host".

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are thought to be beneficial in preventing several health conditions. They are usually consumed as supplements or yoghurts and are also referred to as “good bacteria.”

Probiotic Strains

Probiotic Research

Probiotic Benefits

Probiotic Side Effects

Probiotics History

Friendly bacteria: do we really need to eat probiotic yogurts?

Kefir Health Benefits

Can Probiotics Ever Be Harmful to Human Health?

Latest Probiotic News and Research

Researchers find microbiome-controlled anti-inflammatory subsets of astrocytes

Astrocytes are the most abundant type of cells within the central nervous system (CNS), but they remain poorly characterized.

26 Jan 2021

Study examines the role of gut microbes in anorexia

You are likely familiar with the serious consequences of anorexia for those who experience it, but you might not be aware that the disorder may not be purely psychological.

12 Jan 2021

New probiotic coffee and tea drinks are packed with gut-friendly live probiotics

Good news for those who need a cuppa to start the day. Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have created new probiotic coffee and tea drinks that are packed with gut-friendly live probiotics.

10 Jan 2021

Scientists create first international consensus definition of fermented foods

Humans have consumed different types of fermented foods - from kimchi to yogurt - for thousands of years. Yet only recently, with the availability of new scientific techniques for analyzing their nutritional properties and microbiological composition, have scientists begun to understand exactly how the unique flavors and textures are created and how these foods benefit human health.

6 Jan 2021

Few organisms in the gut microbiome found to play a key role in type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Oregon State University have found that a few organisms in the gut microbiome play a key role in type 2 diabetes, opening the door to possible probiotic treatments for a serious metabolic disease affecting roughly one in 10 Americans.

4 Jan 2021

Researchers examine effectiveness of treating acute infectious diarrhea with probiotics

There is no evidence that probiotics are effective in treating acute infectious diarrhoea, state the authors of this Cochrane review update. Previous editions of the review had suggested they were; but a review update of the evidence, which included new trials, has overturned the review's previous findings.

9 Dec 2020

Study finds link between children's gut microbiomes and household chemicals

A team of researchers for the first time has found a correlation between the levels of bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract of children and the amount of common chemicals found in their home environment.

12 Nov 2020

Researchers study link between gut microbiome and the brain in humans, rodents

Despite extensive support for relationships between the gut microbiome and the brain (the "microbiota-gut-brain axis") in humans and rodents, little is known about these relationships in other animals, leaving questions about this system's generality.

5 Nov 2020

Study proves how nitrate reduces blood pressure and improves oral health

The research team has patented one prebiotic compound and several probiotics with the identified molecules and bacteria.

3 Nov 2020

Study elucidates mechanisms behind protective farm effect on childhood asthma

Asthma impacts millions of children already at a young age. Children growing up on a farm have a lower risk of developing asthma than children not living on a farm.

2 Nov 2020

Specific genes of infant gut bacterium determine its symbiotic function in the infant's gut

While an infant's genes distinguish her from other newborns, a new peer-reviewed study reports that specific genes of a particular infant gut bacterium determine its symbiotic function in the infant's gut.

28 Oct 2020

Intestinal microbiota offers new prospects for treating celiac disease

Celiac disease is an immune disease of the intestine that affects more than 1% of the population. It is characterised by gluten intolerance that causes inflammation of the gut, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, and can lead to weight loss and deficiencies among patients.

23 Oct 2020

Gut bacteria may play a role in prostate cancer therapies

A new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University illustrates how the gut microbiome interacts with an oral medication in prostate cancer patients, suggesting bacteria in the gut play a role in treatment outcomes.

30 Sep 2020

Study highlights need for scientific, pharmaceutical standards for developing live biotherapeutic products

The Pharmabiotic Research Institute (PRI), Europe's only regulatory expertise centre for the development of microbiome-based drug products, has announced the publication of a review titled "Live biotherapeutic products: the importance of a defined regulatory framework".

18 Sep 2020

Probiotics may help manage obesity in younger population

Probiotics may help children and adolescents with obesity lose weight when taken alongside a calorie-controlled diet, according to a study being presented at e-ECE 2020.

7 Sep 2020

Innovative technique tracks human milk nutrients in infant gut microbiome

A new study in mice helps explain why gut microbiomes of breastfed infants can differ greatly from those of formula-fed infants.

1 Sep 2020

Health experts provide guidelines on scientific investigation of synbiotics

Chances are you've heard of or even taken probiotics: supplements delivering "good microbes" to the gut, providing a wide range of health benefits. If you're really up on your gut health, you may also be aware of prebiotics: supplements designed to fuel the good microbes already living in our guts.

25 Aug 2020

Leading international scientists advance a new definition of synbiotics

The word 'synbiotic' appears on a growing number of food and supplement products, with synbiotic ingredients showing promise for modulating the community of microbes living in the human gut, while providing a health benefit.

21 Aug 2020

Scientists investigate the role of contractility and microbiota in chronic constipation

Chronic constipation (CC) remains a serious medical and social problem because the complexity of diagnosis, the lack of a single approach to treatment, and unsatisfactory treatment results.

20 Aug 2020

Developing new fluorescent metal sensors to peer into the gastrointestinal tract

A University of Houston researcher is developing a new set of metal sensors that will be able to function in the gastrointestinal tract, a low oxygen environment, to examine how gut bacteria respond when trace metal nutrients, like iron and zinc, are thrown out of balance either through diet or disease.

19 Aug 2020