Definition of
The first definition, proposed as early as 1974, called probiotics food supplements specifically designed to improve health.
A later definition already defined probiotics as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, convey health benefits to the host. This definition was approved by the WHO in 2001.
The word probiotic comes from the Greek pro bios and means "for life."
What are probiotics?
The term probiotic encompasses many different microbes, so it is important to keep in mind that if some benefits of using a particular strain of probiotics have been scientifically proven, it does not automatically mean that other strains will have similar effects.
Benefits of probiotics
Among the benefits probiotics can provide, the most common are: promoting organic acid production, strengthening the immune system, interacting favorably with the microbiota inhabiting the host's gut, reducing the risk of proliferation of unfavorable microbes, strengthening the intestinal barrier, improving digestive processes, and even modulating neurological properties.