More data needed to determine safety of probiotics and prebiotics

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics often fail to report potential harms. Without safety data, experts warn that they cannot broadly conclude that these interventions are safe. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Interventions aimed at modifying microbiota are increasingly popular. Probiotics and prebiotics are becoming more common as an ingredient in foods and are promoted as helping to improve health, especially in the gastrointestinal tract. Despite promising results in clinical trials, questions remain about the safety of these interventions.

Source: Read Full Article