Probiotics

To meet the criteria for probiotics, live microorganisms must be tested and shown to produce a health benefit.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit. Probiotics can support health in different ways, such as helping your immune system function properly, aiding in digestion or increasing nutrient absorption. Additionally, some probiotics may help reduce certain digestive symptoms such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

To be a probiotic, a microorganism must be alive when administered, must be documented to have a health benefit and must be administered at high enough levels to confer the benefit.

Different strains have different effects, as shown in scientific studies. If you’re generally healthy, probiotics are likely to be safe. But if you have a serious medical condition – especially one involving the gastrointestinal tract or deficient immune system – then you should talk to your doctor before consuming probiotics.

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  • ISAPP panel concludes that more evidence is needed to determine whether probiotics help restore an antibiotic-disrupted microbiota
    By Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders PhD, Mary Ellen Sanders LLC, Colorado, USA, Dr. Hania Szajewska MD, Medical University of Warsaw,…

  • Developing probiotics for neurodegenerative disease, with Dr. Alex Parker PhD
    This episode features Dr. Alex Parker PhD from Université de Montréal talking about models for studying neurodegenerative diseases. His lab makes use of the worm C. elegans, a common model organism for studying disease and aging as it has many genes in common with humans. Focusing on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Dr. Parker makes models…

  • Planning a Biotics Study? New Publication Recommends Adding Diet as a Variable
    Both dietary patterns and specific foods are known to affect the digestive tract environment, either directly or indirectly (for example, by shaping the gut microbiome), and are therefore of interest as potential factors in the response of an individual to a biotic intervention.

  • Probiotics for preterms: sharing complex decision-making
    This Clinical Outlook was published by 2 panelists from a session held at the ISAPP 2024 annual meeting, discussing the topic of probiotic use in preterm infants. The authors note that clinical practice varies widely, with family perspectives often overlooked in decisions about whether to use probiotics in preterm infants. The authors discuss the current…

  • Design and reporting of prebiotic and probiotic clinical trials in the context of diet and the gut microbiome
    Diet is frequently overlooked as a factor in probiotic and prebiotic studies, despite playing a key role in shaping both host gastrointestinal function and microbiota features known to have a significant influence on prebiotic and probiotic efficacy. A group of 8 international experts, led by Prof Maria Marco PhD and Prof Kevin Whelan PhD, explored…

  • Archive Highlight: Biotics in animal and human nutrition, with Prof. Kelly Swanson PhD
    Completing our series on the role of biotics in animal health, we are highlighting Episode 22 from our archives. In this episode, Prof. Kelly Swanson PhD from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign discusses the role of biotics in animal and human nutrition. He reviews the criteria for prebiotics and synbiotics, then discusses how we gain…

  • Developing probiotics to prevent white nose syndrome in bats, with Prof. Ann Cheeptham PhD
    This episode features Prof. Naowarat (Ann) Cheeptham, a cave microbiologist from Thompson Rivers University (Canada), speaking about a fungal infection in bats that causes white nose syndrome. She and her collaborators are looking at the microbiomes of the bats and their environments for possible ways to prevent this serious infection. White nose syndrome is caused…

  • Can Probiotics Prevent Respiratory Tract Infections in Infants and Children?
    Imagine you are a primary care pediatrician practicing in an area where respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are particularly common during…

  • Is There Evidence to Support Probiotic Use for Healthy People?
    A publication output of an expert discussion group from the 2023 annual meeting addressed this question: What’s the state of evidence that probiotics are beneficial to healthy people at a population recommendation level? While many reviews address the value of probiotics for specific patient groups, this paper examined the strength of evidence for preventative use…

  • Expert Panel at ISAPP Annual Meeting Addresses Probiotic Use for Premature Infants
    The use of probiotics in premature infants has been highly topical in recent months. Probiotic use for the prevention of…