Live Dietary Microbes: A Role in Human Health

Microorganisms must meet specific criteria to be considered true probiotics, but the broad category of live dietary microbes includes many safe, live microorganisms that have the potential to benefit health. For millennia, humans consumed a wide array of live dietary microbes on raw fruits and vegetables and in many fermented foods. In the modern food system, many foods are processed to remove or kill these live microbes. Recent research has linked consumption of higher numbers of live dietary microbes with general health benefits — so it may be worth trying to include more of them in your daily diet.