Helen DeVos Children's Hospital gives probiotics, a "good" bacteria, to premature infants to improve intestinal health. Known benefits include a reduction in allergies and asthma, according to one University of Michigan researcher. But that might be the tip of the nutritional iceberg. As a number of new products hit the market, studies of what's going to work well for whom, and why, are now underway.
According to excerpts from the story:
It sounds downright risky, but snacking on billions of live bacteria can actually improve digestion, support the immune system and bolster overall health.
Called probiotics, these "friendly" microbes with health benefits are found naturally in breast milk and fermented foods such as yogurt, fermented milk drinks, aged cheese, miso and certain pickles and sauerkraut.
For the last two years, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has used them to improve the intestinal health of premature infants.
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