What is it about?
Probiotics have been defined as living microbes, but the role of dead or heat-inactivated microbes might have some effect on prevention or treatment of disease or as an immune system regulator. We searched the literature for the evidence of any effects of dead probiotics.
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Why is it important?
Non-living probiotic strains were generally not as effective as living strains of the same probiotic, but in some cases, mostly commonly, in those diseases involving immune system dysfunctions, the dead probiotic may have an effect. In addition it has been thought that dead probiotics might be safer to give to immunocompromised patients or to neonates, but we did not find significantly better effects relating to safety in dead versus living probiotics.
Perspectives
It is valuable to re-visit old theories and summarize the available data to challenge our assumptions of what works and what doesn't. Inactivated/dead probiotic strains may be valuable, but it certainly needs more research.
lynne mcfarland
University of Washington System
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Is there a role for modified probiotics as beneficial microbes: a systematic review of the literature, Beneficial Microbes, October 2017, Wageningen Academic Publishers,
DOI: 10.3920/bm2017.0032.
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