Probiotics
Introduction
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts promoted as having various health benefits. They're usually added to yoghurts or taken as food supplements, and are often described as 'good' or 'friendly' bacteria.
Probiotics are thought to help restore the natural balance of bacteria in your gut (including your stomach and intestines) when it has been disrupted by an illness or treatment.
Probiotics may be helpful in some cases, but there's little evidence to support many health claims made for them. For example, theres no evidence to suggest that probiotics can help treat eczema.
However, it does seem that for most people probiotics appear to be safe. If you wish to try them and you have a healthy immune system they shouldn't cause any unpleasant side effects.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 4 Jan 2017
Introduction
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts promoted as having various health benefits. They're usually added to yoghurts or taken as food supplements, and are often described as 'good' or 'friendly' bacteria.
Potentialissues with probiotic yoghurts and food supplements
If you're considering trying probiotics, there are a few issues you need to be aware of. Firstly, probiotics are generally classed as food rather than medicine, which means they don't undergo the rig
Theevidence for probiotics
Read on or use the links below to find out about the evidence concerning some common uses for probiotics: preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD) treating infectious diarrhoea protec
Probioticscan preventAAD
There'sfairly good evidence thattaking high doses of some probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosusor Saccharomyces boulardii) while taking Penicillin can helpprevent children getting AAD . Without probio
Probiotics may treatinfectious diarrhoea
There'ssome evidence that probiotics can shorten an episode of diarrhoea caused by a stomach bug by about a day. However,the evidence isn't yet strong enough to make any treatment recommendations. R
Probioticsmay help protect premature babies
Some babies born prematurely are at risk of a serious condition callednecrotising enterocolitis (NEC). This is when tissues in the baby's gut become inflamed and start to die. There's some good evide
Probioticsmay help IBS
Probiotics may help to reduce bloating and flatulence in some people with IBS . This issupported bya research published in 2010 , although we don't yet knowthe extent of the benefits, nor the most e
Probioticsmay helpif you're lactose intolerant
Lactose intolerance is a common digestive problem in which the body is unable to digest lactose (a type of sugar found mainly in milk and dairy products). Some studies have found that certain probiot
Probioticsmay help pouchitis
Some people with ulcerative colitis need to have part of their bowel removed and a loop of bowel constructed in its place. This loop, or pouch, can sometimes become inflamed, leading todiarrhoea and
Probiotics don't seem to help babies with colic
It has been suggested that probiotics may be a useful treatment for babies with colic , but there's little evidence to suggest they're effective. A 2013 study concluded that certain probiotics may he
Do probiotics boost the immune system?
Adverts for probiotic yoghurts used to claim they could "boost your immune system", but these claimswereruled unprovenby The European Food Safety Authority and can no longer be made. Theres a lack of
Probioticscan't be recommended for vaginal conditions
There have been suggestions that probiotics can help in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis . However, even when they are taken with antibiotics, there's currently no evidence of any extra benefits.
Probioticscan't be used for IBD
There's a lack of evidence to make any conclusions about the effectiveness of probiotics forrelieving symptoms of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis .
Probiotics are not supported for eczema
Some studies have suggested that giving probiotics to young children may reduce their risk of developing eczema , but the evidence is not very strong. There's no evidence to support claims that probi
Subscribe
Ask the doctor
Rate this article
Find products