Title: Probiotics for health and digestion – supplements and yoghurt | CHOICE
Headings: What are probiotics?
What are probiotics?
Probiotic supplements are promoted for general good health, as well as treating various ailments. Should you take one?
Healthy gut bacteria
Probiotics and prebiotics: What's the difference?
Probiotics
Prebiotics
What about synbiotics?
Do probiotics work?
What conditions do probiotics help with?
Antibiotic associated diarrhoea
Infectious diarrhoea
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Inflammatory bowel disease
Eczema and other allergies
Coughs and colds
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection
'Immunity'
Traveller's diarrhoea
Will probiotics help against COVID-19?
Coronavirus advice and resources
Health benefits of probiotics
trials that are funded by the manufacturer of a product may be biased
Should a healthy person take probiotics?
Which foods are rich in probiotics?
Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that can increase the activity of select 'good' bacteria
Probiotic tips
Labelling and regulation
Looking to save on health insurance?

Content: While individual studies and anecdotal evidence suggest a wide range of uses, well-studied and accepted uses for probiotics are much fewer. Some of the main claims you'll find on probiotic products are fairly general and relate to digestive and immune system support, although some are more specific, mentioning preventing colds, eczema and relief from the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. What conditions do probiotics help with? Some of the conditions that might be helped by taking probiotics include: Antibiotic associated diarrhoea
There's good evidence that taking widely available types of probiotics alongside a course of antibiotics may help reduce the risk of getting diarrhoea. They may also reduce the likelihood of getting a Clostridium difficile infection, which can have long-term serious consequences. Successful strains include Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. acidophilus (found in yoghurt), L. caseii and Saccharomyces boulardii (a yeast). Infectious diarrhoea
Probiotics can also reduce the severity and duration of infectious diarrhoea (caused by rotavirus, for example) in children. There's no consensus on which strains of probiotics helps with IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
While there are studies that show some benefit from probiotics in reducing symptoms of IBS, there's no consensus on which strains or dose.