ABSTRACT
The health benefits of probiotics have been known for many years and the popularity in the use of probiotic products to treat or improve illnesses, or to maintain overall well-being, is increasing. Well-studied probiotic species include Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Probiotics are live bacteria that are suggested to be beneficial for improving digestive health and immune system function, mainly by decreasing inflammation. The microbiota may be considered as the proximate environmental factor conferring risk or resistance to a range of chronic inflammatory and metabolic disorders that are common in socio-economically developed societies. The capability of gut microbiota to process indigestible polysaccharides increases the practicality of short-chain fatty acids including butyrate, acetate and propionate. Immune suppression in athletes may be related to psychological stress, environmental extremes or increased exposure to pathogens due to elevated breathing during exercise. The use of probiotic supplementation has become very popular for the prevention and treatment of a variety of diseases.
