Are probiotics and other functional foods the medicines of the future?
Many health benefits are being claimed on behalf of so-called 'functional foods', and they are becoming more popular among consumers. But do they really help to prevent and treat disease? This paper discusses their potential uses and looks at current research and opinion, focusing on probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics, which can be added to foods such as yoghurt.
Holmes
Susan
S
Faculty of Health, Canterbury Christ Church University College, Canterbury.
D000818:Animals; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000382:microbiology; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000639:trends; D005544:Forecasting; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*