Agricultural Reviews
  • Year: 2018
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue: 3

Probiotics conventional benefits and cautions in intake-A review

Department of Foods and Nutrition, The Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Wyra-507 165, Khammam, Telangana, India

*Corresponding author's e-mail: priya.sugandhi777@gmail.com

Online published on 9 October, 2018.

Abstract

Probiotics are friendly bacteria benefit the health which occur naturally in the digestive tract of human beings. Prebiotics, act as ‘food’ for these beneficial probiotic bacteria, promoting their activity. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are widely used probiotics which generally regarded as safe. They are adhesive to mucosal and epithelial surfaces and enhance immunity by preventing pathogen adhesion in the digestive system. Although infections with probiotics are very rare, few research studies have been reported in childrenand also in elderlysuffering from diseases dueto supplementation offew types of species which may be due to immunodeficiency and immunosuppression. The familiarity of probiotics is still uncertain in many and they doubt whether to consume or not. This review provides the information based on research studies and gives clarity on the intake of probiotics. However, caution need to be exercised in the selection of genus and strains of particular probiotics genera.

Keywords

Benefits of probiotics, Cautions in intake of probiotics, Infections