The intestinal colonisation with a balanced microflora is of major importance for an appropriate development of the immune system. In recent years, there has been increasing scientific and commercial interest in modifying the flora for health promotion. Dietary factors that are thought to be effective in that context are the so-called prebiotics, i.e., unabsorbable carbohydrates as microbial substrates, or probiotics defining specific live, digestion-resistant bacteria with potential health benefits.
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Kunz, C., Kuntz, S., Rudloff, S. (2009). Intestinal Flora. In: Goldberg, G., Prentice, A., Prentice, A., Filteau, S., Simondon, K. (eds) Breast-Feeding: Early Influences on Later Health. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 639. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8749-3_6
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