Probiotics Expert Says Technology Is Advancing The Study Of Benefits Of Probiotics

New technology is making it easier to study probiotics – the so-called “good bacteria” that comprise the intestinal microbiota – but real understanding of the complexities of the gut microflora ecosystem is still probably years away, according to a Danish expert. Despite the fact that the European Food Safety Authory (EFSA) has rejected numerous health claims for probiotics, Danisco Award winner Tine Rask Licht of the Technical University of Denmark believes that studying microbiota will have an impact on certain health risk factors. Scientists, after all, now believe that gut probiotics almost constitute an organ unto itself that has a unique metabolism communicating via receptors and chemicals with the rest of the body. Unfortunately, there is very little scientific evidence that manipulating microflora significantly affects health risks – a frustrating situation for health food companies.