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Bacteria of the intestinal flora
:: Bacteria of the intestinal flora are central to the health effects of probiotics
A hundred years after the work of Elie Metchnikoff, researcher with the Paris Institut Pasteur and 1908 Nobel Laureate, the beneficial effects of fermented dairy products and probiotics have been broadly documented.
Probiotics act at 3 levels in the intestine: the intestinal cells, intestinal immune system, and intestinal flora. The flora is involved in the maturation of the intestinal immune system, bioconversion of dietary compounds, and protection against colonization by pathogenic microorganisms. The intestinal flora thus constitutes an emerging research field and reputed research teams are investigating new aspects of the flora's roles in areas such as energy metabolism and weight management. The intestinal flora, a living universe to which man is host (100,000 billion bacteria in a single adult), constitutes an invaluable instrument in the research on and elucidation of the action mechanisms of probiotics.
