Probiotics
Live bacteria whose benefits are specific to the strain and dose.
Probiotics are live bacteria taken to confer a health benefit, sold as supplements and present in some fermented foods. 'Probiotics' is an umbrella term covering many different species and strains that do different things.
They matter, but the benefits are strain-specific: evidence for one named strain at a given dose says little about an unrelated strain in another product, so a supplement without a named, studied strain may do nothing. Preliminary evidence in athletes points to gut comfort and fewer or shorter colds.
In practice, if using a supplement, choose one with a named strain studied for your specific goal; for general gut health, fermented foods and a fibre-rich diet are the better-supported foundation.
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Written and reviewed by Mathew Beale, MSc Biotechnology, University of Reading.
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