Probiotics: Review of Evidence

Abstract

Probiotic supplements have gained much popularity in the recent years. Media participation for the promotion of probiotic supplementation for various indications has been quite impressive as well. Traditionally, the word probiotic has been referred to in a positive manner and these supplements have been utilized as helpful resources in some way or another. The fact that makes this topic complicated and challenging, not only for the laymen but also for the healthcare providers is that there are numerous types and strains of probiotics available. Additionally, the standardization for dosing based on the indications is somewhat lacking. Few of the many questions that seem to pose challenges for today’s health care providers are; which probiotic, how much of it, how long to use for and above all is there evidence to support the use of probiotics. The purpose of this article is to summarize the available evidence for Probiotic supplements for various indications and attempt to scratch the surface of probiotics data and seek answers to the pertinent probiotics related questions.