Probiotic
<p ><b>Probiotic organisms</b> are live <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microorganism" title="Microorganism" >microorganisms</a> that are thought to be beneficial to the host organism. </p>
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According to the currently adopted definition by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_and_Agriculture_Organization" title="Food and Agriculture Organization" >FAO</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization" title="World Health Organization" >WHO</a>, probiotics are: "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host".<sup id="cite_ref-FAO.2FWHO_0-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-FAO.2FWHO-0" >[1]</a></sup> </p>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactic_acid_bacteria" title="Lactic acid bacteria" >Lactic acid bacteria</a> (LAB) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bifidobacteria" title="Bifidobacteria" class="mw-redirect" >bifidobacteria</a> are the most common types of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbes" title="Microbes" class="mw-redirect" >microbes</a> used as probiotics; but certain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeasts" title="Yeasts" class="mw-redirect" >yeasts</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacilli" title="Bacilli" >bacilli</a> may also be used. </p>
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Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermentation_(food)" title="Fermentation (food)" >fermented</a> foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogurt" title="Yogurt" >yogurt</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy_yogurt" title="Soy yogurt" >soy yogurt</a>, or as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_supplement" title="Dietary supplement" >dietary supplements</a>. </p>
<p>
Probiotics are also delivered in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal_bacteriotherapy" title="Fecal bacteriotherapy" >fecal transplants</a>, in which stool from a healthy donor is delivered like a suppository to an infected patient.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup></p>
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Etymologically, the term appears to be a composite of the Latin preposition <i>pro</i> ("for") and the Greek adjective <i>βιωτικός</i> (biotic), the latter deriving from the noun <i>βίος</i> (bios, "life").<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-2" >[3]</a></sup></p>
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At the start of the 20th century, probiotics were thought to beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial
balance, thus inhibiting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathogens" title="Pathogens" class="mw-redirect" >pathogens</a> and toxin producing bacteria.<sup id="cite_ref-Metchnikoff_3-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-Metchnikoff-3" >[4]</a></sup> </p>
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Today, specific health effects are being investigated and documented including alleviation of chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases,<sup id="cite_ref-Mach_4-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-Mach-4" >[5]</a></sup> prevention and treatment of pathogen-induced <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diarrhea" title="Diarrhea" >diarrhea</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-Yan_5-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-Yan-5" >[6]</a></sup> urogenital infections,<sup id="cite_ref-Reid_6-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-Reid-6" >[7]</a></sup> and atopic diseases.<sup id="cite_ref-Vanderhoof_7-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-Vanderhoof-7" >[8]</a></sup></p>
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To date, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Food_Safety_Authority" title="European Food Safety Authority" >European Food Safety Authority</a> has rejected most claims that are made about probiotic products, saying they are unproven.<sup id="cite_ref-esra_8-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-esra-8" >[9]</a></sup> However, several studies have concluded that fecal transplants are effective in treating <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clostridium_difficile" title="Clostridium difficile" >Clostridium difficile</a> infections and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammatory_bowel_disease" title="Inflammatory bowel disease" >inflammatory bowel disease</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics#cite_note-9" >[10]</a></sup></p>