• J M Andrews and M Tan.
• Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia. ane.andrews@health.sa.gov.au
• Intern Med J. 2012 Dec 1; 42 (12): 1287-91.

AbstractIn recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of probiotics in various areas of gastrointestinal (GI) health. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that provide beneficial health effects on the host when administered in adequate amounts. Various probiotics have been shown to suppress bacterial growth, modulate the immune system and improve intestinal barrier function. However, despite several studies with promising results, most trials are small and many have substantial methodological limitations. However, with better targeting and appropriate randomised controlled trials, this area may soon yield important therapeutic strategies to optimise GI health. Here, we review the current knowledge of probiotics of relevance to luminal GI health.© 2012 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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