Probiotics That Modify Disease Risk1

https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/135.5.1294Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

ABSTRACT

Probiotics are defined as live bacterial preparations with clinically documented health effects in humans. Probiotics have specific properties and targets in the human intestinal tract and intestinal microbiota. Each probiotic strain, independent of its genus and species is unique and, thus, the properties and the human health effects of each strain have to be assessed in a case-by-case manner. Understanding the mechanisms by which probiotics influence the normal intestinal microbiota and counteract aberrancies in microbiota would facilitate the use of probiotics for both dietary management and reduction in risk of specific diseases. Development of intestinal microbiota is an important factor affecting the health of the newborn. Recent studies suggest that specific bacterial components, especially the bifidobacteria, have a key impact on development of a healthy balanced infant microbiota. The composition of infant and child intestinal microbiota may become aberrant and thus influence the development of diarrheal, inflammatory, and allergic diseases. Based on this understanding, positive health effects of probiotics have been reported in the management of diarrheal, inflammatory, and allergic diseases in infants. Most recently, a reduction in risk of atopic diseases followed early administration of specific probiotics.

KEY WORDS

probiotic
intestinal microbiota
health effects

Cited by (0)

1

Presented as part of the symposium “Innate Immunity and Human Milk” given at the 2004 Experimental Biology meeting on April 17, 2004, Washington, DC. The symposium was sponsored by the American Society for Nutritional Sciences and the International Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation, and in part by The Baby Care Global Business Unit of The Procter and Gamble Company, Mead-Johnson Nutritionals, Nestlé, Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories Inc., and Wyeth Nutrition. The proceedings are published as a supplement to The Journal of Nutrition. This supplement is the responsibility of the Guest Editors to whom the Editor of The Journal of Nutrition has delegated supervision of both technical conformity to the published regulations of The Journal of Nutrition and general oversight of the scientific merit of each article. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and are not attributable to the sponsors or the publisher, editor, or editorial board of The Journal of Nutrition. The Guest Editors for the symposium publication are David S. Newburg, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, and Charles E. Isaacs, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY.