Pooling data on different probiotics is not appropriate to assess the efficacy of probiotics

Substantiating efficacy of probiotics

Even if over 600 probiotic human intervention trials have been performed, not all health promoting effects attributed to probiotics have been substantiated or supported by well conducted clinical trials as yet. However, in evaluating the success met in the area or the validity of the results reached so far, several points should be kept in mind. The targeted health benefits are multiple and div...

Different Methods of Probiotics Stabilization

Starter cultures provide a basis in the production of fermented foods. Probiotics are the most important group of bacterial starter cultures. Commercial starter cultures were initially supplied in liquid form prior to the production of concentrated starter cultures. Progress in biotechnology later led to the application of concentrated starter cultures in frozen and freeze dried forms for direc...

Variations on the Efficacy of Probiotics in Poultry

Probiotics.

Probiotics are microorganisms with potential health benefits. They may be used to prevent and treat antibiotic-associated diarrhea and acute infectious diarrhea. They may also be effective in relieving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and in treating atopic dermatitis in children. Species commonly used include Lactobacillus sp., Bifidobacterium sp., Streptococcus thermophilus, and Saccharo...

To give or not to give probiotics to preterm infants.

Should probiotics be routinely used in preterm infants? This is one of the most common questions asked with regard to probiotics. In this issue of the Journal, Athalye-Jape et al. (1) present the results of a meta-analysis (search date: April 2014) that assessed the effects of probiotic supplementation on enteral feeding in preterm (gestational age ,37 wk) or low-birth-weight (,2500 g) infants....