What are the clinical effects of probiotics?
The claimed health effects vary according to genus, species and strain. The clinical effects of probiotics have been – and still are – studied in many trials. • Prevention and treatment of diarrhea: Several strains have been shown to be effective in the prevention or treatment of diarrhea, especially when caused by rotaviruses in children. • Gastrointestinal disorders and symptoms: In lactose intolerance, controlled trials with yogurts have been shown to benefit subjects with primary lactase deficiency, or malabsorption disorders following intestinal surgery. • Inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: Several trials have demonstrated the benefits of probiotics in various inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract, such as chronic pouchitis, ulcerative colitis and disorders following antibiotic treatments. • Non-intestinal infections: Several strains of Lactobacilli have proven beneficial when used in prevention and/or treatment of various infections, such as respiratory
