Do probiotics really benefit healthy people?

A recent study published in the journal Advances In Nutrition reviewed the evidence of the benefits of probiotics for healthy people. Probiotics are microbes that confer health benefits to the host. Various studies have examined the use of probiotics for diverse conditions for patients and healthy individuals.

Clinical trials have also investigated different outcomes in relation to probiotic use. However, a common question remains: should everyone take probiotics? This study reviewed the available evidence to assess the outcomes of probiotic use in healthy people. The research team assembled experts to explore the evidence, following the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) approach.

This review primarily focused on healthy individuals and also considered population subgroups. The study explored whether probiotics could prevent infections of the vaginal, respiratory, gastrointestinal (GI), or urinary tract, reduce antibiotic use, or improve cardiovascular risk factors. Study: Is there evidence to support probiotic use for healthy people? Image Credit: Orawan Pattarawimonchai / Shutterstock Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most prevalent bacterial infection worldwide, accounting for one-fourth of infections in females.

In a trial, weekly vaginal application of suppositories containing Lactocaseibacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Limosilactobacillus fermentum B-54 for one year reduced the recurrence rate of UTIs. However, a similar result was observed for 21 subje.