Abstract

PROBIOTICS: AS A FUNCTIONAL FOOD

Amit Sharma*, Pranav Sharma, Mukesh Chandra Sharma and Sankit Kumar

ABSTRACT

In the past two to three decades, efforts to enhance human health have concentrated on developing live microbial supplements, or "probiotics," that can modify the body's natural gut flora. Probiotics account for 65% of the global functional food market, which is expected to be worth over US$75 billion. They are the leading and rapidly expanding section of this enormous business. Probiotic products often contain lactic acid bacteria, which include bifidobacteria, as their active components. Enterococci and Lactobacilli. Probiotics have a wide range of health benefits, some of which include immune system stimulation, reduction of lactose intolerance, protection against infections, and maintenance of normal/healthy intestinal flora. Probiotics are a group of strains that have been shown to have positive effects and can be found in products in rather large quantities. Furthermore. Lactobacilli and bifidobacteriaare common residents of the human GIT that are considered good and are secreated from the food ingredients that are non-digestable, such as oligosaccharides, collectively called prebiotics. Pre- and probiotics can be combined to create a dietary product known as a synbiotic, which is thought to be targeted towards the two "target regions" of the GIT. A discussion of verified health claims is included, along with a mention of unanswered questions and research obstacles.

Keywords: Probiotics, Food, Human, Health, GIT.