title: Health benefits of probiotics: a review.
abstract: Probiotic bacteria have become increasingly popular during the last two decades as a result of the continuously expanding scientific evidence pointing to their beneficial effects on human health. As a result they have been applied as various products with the food industry having been very active in studying and promoting them. Within this market the probiotics have been incorporated in various products, mainly fermented dairy foods. In light of this ongoing trend and despite the strong scientific evidence associating these microorganisms to various health benefits, further research is needed in order to establish them and evaluate their safety as well as their nutritional aspects. The purpose of this paper is to review the current documentation on the concept and the possible beneficial properties of probiotic bacteria in the literature, focusing on those available in food.
authors: Microbiology Department, Sismanoglion General Hospital of Athens, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors: Maria
authors: 0000-0002-2365-3384
authors: M
authors: Kechagia
authors: Internal Medicine Department, APPK, Laiko Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.
authors: Dimitrios
authors: 0000-0002-0686-872X
authors: D
authors: Basoulis
authors: Microbiology Department, Sismanoglion General Hospital of Athens, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors: Stavroula
authors: 0000-0002-9973-8149
authors: S
authors: Konstantopoulou
authors: Microbiology Department, Sismanoglion General Hospital of Athens, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors: Dimitra
authors: D
authors: Dimitriadi
authors: Microbiology Department, Sismanoglion General Hospital of Athens, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors: Konstantina
authors: K
authors: Gyftopoulou
authors: Microbiology Department, Sismanoglion General Hospital of Athens, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors: Nikoletta
authors: N
authors: Skarmoutsou
authors: Microbiology Department, Sismanoglion General Hospital of Athens, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors: Eleni Maria
authors: 0000-0001-6764-5354
authors: EM
authors: Fakiri