Microorganisms said to provide health benefits when consumed
Not to be confused with Prebiotics, food compounds that induce the growth or activity of microorganisms.
Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims that they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut microbiota.[1][2] Probiotics are considered generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria-host interactions and unwanted side effects in rare cases.[3][4][5] There is some evidence that probiotics are beneficial for some conditions, but there is little evidence for many of the health benefits claimed for them.[1]
The first discovered probiotic was a certain strain of bacillus in Bulgarian yoghurt, called Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The discovery was made in 1905 by Bulgarian physician and microbiologist Stamen Grigorov. The modern-day theory is generally attributed to Russian Nobel laureateÉlie Metchnikoff, who postulated around 1907 that yoghurt-consuming Bulgarian peasants lived longer.[6]
^ ab"Probiotics". National Health Service. November 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
^"Probiotics: What You Need To Know". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. August 1, 2019. Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^Engle MK, Roosevelt MW, Waltrip EA (November 22, 2011). "Warning letter to CocoKefir LLC". Compliance Branch, Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, US Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)