385
probiotics throughout the past century (Lidbeck et al. 1992; Lee et al. 1999). A new
research area was opened up after findings about reduced blood serum cholesterol
in people who drink fermented yogurt with wild strains of Lactobacillus sp. (Mann
and Spoerig 1974).
In 2001, a panel of experts from the United Nations and the World Health
Organization provided a definition for probiotics emphasizing the significance of
their applications and demanding documentation of their benefits at the clinical
level (FAO/WHO 2001). This definition is “live microorganisms which when
administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” (FAO/WHO
2001). The successive and joint guidelines published by these international organizations (FAO/WHO 2002) endorsed by the International Scientific Association for
Probiotics and Prebiotics (Reid et al. 2003) indicated that scientific, manufacturing,
and clinical standards should be met for products to be known as “probiotic.”
16.2 Prebiotic
Another word commonly used with probiotics is prebiotic. Maintaining the appropriate balance between helpful and harmful bacteria is essential for good health.
Many factors such as food, genetics, and age may influence the composition of
microbiota in the body. Dysbiosis, which means imbalance of microbiota, may lead
to many disorders. The synergistic action of prebiotics and probiotics is called synbiotics. Nondigestible carbohydrate acts as a prebiotic food for the probiotics and
microbiota in the digestive tract. The growth and activities of microbes are selectively stimulated by prebiotics, which is beneficial for host health. Health benefits
may include a cure for complications in the gastrointestinal tract such as enteritis,
irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, allergic inflammations, cancer, and immunodeficiency diseases. In adolescents, and in postmenopausal women, bone calcium
accretion and increased bone mineral density together with increased calcium
absorption are attributable to the probiotic effect. From human trials and other
experimental models, it was assumed that particular food products with prebiotics
influence energy homeostasis and body weight, which has a beneficial effect in type
II diabetics and obesity.
Oligosaccharides form major prebiotics, and generally they cannot be digested
by the enzymes in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the lower colon, they
become fermented and are converted to short-chain fatty acids that will be nourishment for beneficial gut microbiota. Oligosaccharides are generally obtained from
natural sources such as banana, barley, chicory, onion, garlic, honey, sugarcane
juice, tomato, lentils, milk, mustards, rye, soybean, and wheat. Research is ongoing
to evaluate the health benefits from these oligosaccharides (Van Loo et al. 1995).
Probiotics are live microbial cultures such as bacteria similar to natural microbes
in the human GI tract consumed to provide a basic nutritional component and to
maintain balance in the immune system and intestinal tract for health benefits
(Agerholm-Larsen et al. 2000). Many oral probiotic products are available in the
market as dietary supplements, yogurts, tablets, powders, and creams. The possible
16 Probiotics
probiotics throughout the past century (Lidbeck et al. 1992; Lee et al. 1999). A new
research area was opened up after findings about reduced blood serum cholesterol
in people who drink fermented yogurt with wild strains of Lactobacillus sp. (Mann
and Spoerig 1974).
In 2001, a panel of experts from the United Nations and the World Health
Organization provided a definition for probiotics emphasizing the significance of
their applications and demanding documentation of their benefits at the clinical
level (FAO/WHO 2001). This definition is “live microorganisms which when
administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” (FAO/WHO
2001). The successive and joint guidelines published by these international organizations (FAO/WHO 2002) endorsed by the International Scientific Association for
Probiotics and Prebiotics (Reid et al. 2003) indicated that scientific, manufacturing,
and clinical standards should be met for products to be known as “probiotic.”
16.2 Prebiotic
Another word commonly used with probiotics is prebiotic. Maintaining the appropriate balance between helpful and harmful bacteria is essential for good health.
Many factors such as food, genetics, and age may influence the composition of
microbiota in the body. Dysbiosis, which means imbalance of microbiota, may lead
to many disorders. The synergistic action of prebiotics and probiotics is called synbiotics. Nondigestible carbohydrate acts as a prebiotic food for the probiotics and
microbiota in the digestive tract. The growth and activities of microbes are selectively stimulated by prebiotics, which is beneficial for host health. Health benefits
may include a cure for complications in the gastrointestinal tract such as enteritis,
irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, allergic inflammations, cancer, and immunodeficiency diseases. In adolescents, and in postmenopausal women, bone calcium
accretion and increased bone mineral density together with increased calcium
absorption are attributable to the probiotic effect. From human trials and other
experimental models, it was assumed that particular food products with prebiotics
influence energy homeostasis and body weight, which has a beneficial effect in type
II diabetics and obesity.
Oligosaccharides form major prebiotics, and generally they cannot be digested
by the enzymes in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the lower colon, they
become fermented and are converted to short-chain fatty acids that will be nourishment for beneficial gut microbiota. Oligosaccharides are generally obtained from
natural sources such as banana, barley, chicory, onion, garlic, honey, sugarcane
juice, tomato, lentils, milk, mustards, rye, soybean, and wheat. Research is ongoing
to evaluate the health benefits from these oligosaccharides (Van Loo et al. 1995).
Probiotics are live microbial cultures such as bacteria similar to natural microbes
in the human GI tract consumed to provide a basic nutritional component and to
maintain balance in the immune system and intestinal tract for health benefits
(Agerholm-Larsen et al. 2000). Many oral probiotic products are available in the
market as dietary supplements, yogurts, tablets, powders, and creams. The possible
16 Probiotics