With the cold, dark and wet months approaching, we have selected these three notions from the field.
Respiratory infection
Probiotics can reduce the incidence and duration of respiratory infections in children, according to this systematic review of 23 trails with 6269 children (PMID: 27495104: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Urinary tract infection
Lactobacillus-containing products may prevent recurrent urinary tract infections in women. The widespread use of antibiotics has led to an increase in E. coli-resistant isolates in urinary tract infections worldwide. A promising non-antibiotic approach is the use of probiotic lactobacilli (PMID: 29602464; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Depression
Probiotics have been shown to reduce susceptibility to depression. Impaired intestinal barrier function and inflammation are correlated with depressive symptoms. This has been discussed in several publications, such as a clinical trial on the effect of probiotic supplement consumption on depressive symptoms in a sample of participants with mild to severe depression (PMID: 31078831; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/