Probiotics in human health

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization, probiotics are live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host. Probiotics show a number of beneficial effects on human health and well-being by influencing the composition of microflora. Probiotics have become an important dietary supplement and have been found to be useful in the formulation of vaccines, providing improved humoral and cellular immunity. They are well tolerated by both newborns and elders and have thus become increasingly popular. Probiotics have been used as an adjuvant in the treatment and prevention of many conditions and diseases including diarrhea, autoimmune disease, cancer, urogenital-related abnormalities, intestinal inflammation, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and allergies. This review provides an overview of the recent advances in various health benefits and biomedical applications of probiotics.