What are Probiotics , Advantages and disadvantages of Probiotics

What are Probiotics ?:Probiotics are formulations or dietary supplements containing living microorganisms mostly bacteria’s  which are beneficial microorganisms to human beings , when administered in adequate amount they impart some health beneficial effects on the host. 
These microorganisms are also known as " friendly bacteria " or " good bacteria." Probiotics are also available to consumers mainly in the form of dietary supplements and foods apart from pharmaceutical formulations
The beneficial effect are gained are due to set of complex actions resulting out of competitive actions, like competition for growth and competitive inhibition , and  improvement in growth condition for intestinal flora.
What are Prebiotics?:
 Prebiotics is a non digestible food ingredient which can selectively stimulate the growth as well as the activity of beneficial microorganisms (Probiotics) already found in human intestine and colon.

When these two factors Probiotics and Prebiotics are combined together they prove to be effective , the desired beneficial effect is prominent .

Lactic acid bacteria ,Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are the mostly used bacteria.
Probiotics impart beneficial affect on the host is because of improvement in the intestinal microbial balance ,Lactobacilli ferment milk and produce lower PH due to production on lactic acid, produce lower PH . lactobacilli are commonly used in diarrhoea associated antibiotic use , antibiotics disturb normal flora of gut and result in to physiological disturbance due to change in carbohydrate metabolism and decrease in absorption of short chain fatty acid in colon which result in osmotic diarrhea, antibiotic therapy also leads to over growth of pathogenic organism clostridium difficali

Probiotic treatment is very effective in treating and reducing the severity of antibiotic associated diarrhea the microorganism used to treat is a lactobacillus acidophilus

Following are the microorganisms used as probiotics

1.lactobacillus acidophilus -----Protective in infection of Candia albicans

2.Bacillus coagulans -----Reduces Abdominal Pain In IBS patients

3.Bifidobacterium ------- Reduces the severity of H.pylori infection

4.Lactobacillus casei ----Protects against Salmonella typhimurium Reduces the severity of H.pylori infection

5.Bifidobacterium ---------Abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating,distention, , bowel movement difficulty.



Appilcations of probiotic treatments:

A.Managing lactose intolerance


B.Prevention of colon cancer


C.Lowering cholesterol

D.Improving immune function and preventing infections


E.Antibiotic-associated diarrhea


F.Irritable bowel syndrome and colitis


Disadvantages of Probiotics :
Use of probiotics should be rational , in case of aged patients and in patients with poor immunity probiotics can result in to harmful effect. In patients with acute pancreatitis probiotic treatment has showed harmful effects.