Ebook Benefit of Probiotics Questioned
On the heels of a new lawsuit against Dannon®, America's founding national
yogurt company, for allegedly misleading consumers about the effectiveness of its probiotics yogurt lines (Activia® and DanActive®), a new study by researchers in Australia questioned the effectiveness of various probiotics strains, while maintaining that health benefits have been observed. Probiotics are thought to be beneficial bacteria (sometimes referred to as "friendly germs") that help to maintain the health of the intestinal tract and aid in digestion. They also help keep potentially harmful organisms in the gut (harmful bacteria and yeasts) under control.
Most probiotics come from food sources, especially cultured milk products. Probiotics can be consumed as
capsules, tablets, beverages, powders, and yogurts. Probiotics work by colonizing the small intestine and crowding out disease-causing organisms, thereby restoring proper balance to the intestinal flora. They compete with harmful organisms for nutrients and may also produce substances that inhibit the growth of harmful organisms in the gut. Probiotics have been found to enhance the digestion and absorption of proteins, fats, calcium and hosphorus.
They may help overcome lactose intolerance as well as restore healthful bacteria after a course of antibiotic therapy has altered the normal gastrointestinal flora. Researchers from the Department of Primary Industries, one of 10 Victorian government departments in Victoria, Australia, suggested that among the many benefits associated with the consumption of probiotics, modulation of the immune system has received the most attention.
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