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Health benefits of probiotics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2019

Barry R. Goldin
Barry R. Goldin*
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Abstract

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This paper reviews the evidence for the claims of health benefits derived from the use of probiotics. A brief history of probiotics and the types of probiotics currently used and the criteria for the selection of probiotics is discussed. The ability of probiotics to enhance the nutritional content and bioavailability of nutrients and the scientific evidence for the usefulness of probiotics in alleviating the symptoms of lactose intolerance and in enhancing growth development is examined. The remainder of the review focuses on studies of a specific probiotic, Lactobacillus GG which has been extensively investigated for its health benefits in humans and animals. These studies serve as a model for the potential benefits of probiotics. The ability of Lactobacillus GG to treat or prevent diarrhoeal disease, to serve as an adjuvant for vaccines, to prevent rotavirus-induced diarrhoea, to prevent milk-based allergic reactions, alcohol-induced liver disease and colon cancer are presented. The review concludes with a discussion of the data supporting the safety of probiotics.

Keywords

ProbioticsHealth benefitsLactobacillus GG
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 80 , supplement S2: Pre- and Probiotics: Where are We Today? , October 1998 , pp. S203 - S207
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1998

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