Study says probiotics do not benefit healthy people, just a waste of money

Manufacturers of food products with probiotics would likely be angry at a new report released by University of Copenhagen researchers. The study says those products, which promise that good bacteria would populate the intestines and replace bad bacteria, are just waste of money.

The scientists explain that for healthy people, probiotics have no apparent health benefits, reports Fortune. But for people suffering from different gut-bacteria-based ailments, probiotics could help. By taking probiotics, relief comes for people who suffer from gastro-intestinal distress caused by antibiotics.

According to the World Health Organisation, a live microorganism is considered a probiotic if it confers a health benefit to the host when administered in sufficient amounts. But evidence of effects on bacteria living in the guts of healthy adults is still elusive.

The researchers based their finding on a systematic review of seven randomised control trials on the effect of probiotic products on the fecal microbiota of healthy adults. “No convincing evidence exists for consistent effects of examined prebiotics on fecal microbiota composition in healthy adults, despite probiotic products being consumed to a large extent by the general population,” said Nadja Buss Kristensen, junior author of the study and PhD student.

While food companies, such as Yakult, have been saying their products contain probiotics, some critics point out that the stomach acids kill the active bacteria before it could reach the intestines. But there is new research on gut bacteria being responsible for good or bad health, depending on its makeup.

Probiotic advocates insist it helps with a lot of health issues such as allergies, obesity and cancer. However, the National Institutes of Health insists the benefits of probiotics have not been conclusively demonstrated.