ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we discuss probiotics, their impact on human health and disease prevention, the importance of diet, and the role of cultured products in modulating gut microbiota. The gut microbiota have an essential role in human metabolism and are supported by good diet and nutrition. Cultured as well as fermented food products are generally classified as functional foods as they confer health benefits and support the gut microbiota through immunomodulatory mechanisms. Thus, gut microbiota provides a network of defense systems that promote human health and well-being by eliminating disease-causing organisms or preventing them from infiltrating the human metabolic system. A healthy diet that is supplemented with probiotics will consequently boost modulatory functionalities of the gut microbiota. Diet and probiotic consumption is highly recommended as a natural alternative to supporting the functionality of the gut microbiota in the wake of several human health diseases. This chapter comprehensively elucidates the unparalleled positive effects of fermented probiotic functional foods with a special emphasis on the role of nutrition in promoting health and modulation of the gut microbiota. In addition, we will provide extensive examples of healthy probiotic strains, cultured food products, fermented functional food products, and human health diseases addressed by the symbiotic mechanism of diet and probiotics.
