ABSTRACT
A wide range of health effects, including enhanced metabolism of dietary compounds, alleviation of disturbed bowel functions, improved resilience of the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota, resistance against infections within and outside the GI tract, and prevention of allergies, have been linked with the use of specific probiotic microbes. Studies on the effect of probiotics on Irritable Bowel Syndrome should therefore be of sufficient duration and with appropriate numbers of participants. Inflammatory bowel disease is a common name given to a group of chronic inflammatory conditions in the GI, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and pouchitis. The suggested potential mechanisms by which probiotics may influence diarrheal disease are many: modulating microbiota composition by production of antimicrobial components, competition for nutrients and binding sites; modulation of the immune system and influencing the intestinal barrier function. Antibiotic treatment substantially disrupts the balance of the intestinal microbiota and may lead to so-called antibiotic-associated diarrhea or other digestive disturbances.
