The impact of Biotics for Microbiome Health

The discovery of the impact of human intestinal microbiota on health and well-being is constantly evolving. The collective genome of the intestinal microbiota, termed microbiome, is estimated to contain at least 100 times more genes than our own genome (Qin et al., 2010).

Certain microbiota components can have beneficial effects, therefore modulating the microbiome towards a healthier composition has received more and more scientific interests, especially in the early-life period where the microbiota is progressively established, which leaves more rooms for modulation. Strategies of antenatal and early-life intestinal microbiome modulation are the most effective approaches to promote a resilient, diverse, and healthy microbiota, which has the greatest long-term potential to benefit health (the programming effect).

Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and more recently postbiotics – all these “biotics” have the potential to modulate the intestinal microbiome but acting differently. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the WHO (FAO/WHO) defines probiotic as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” (Hills et al., 2014). Several probiotic strains have been identified, tested safe for use in infants and conferring health benefits in diverse areas. More research is needed to uncover new probiotic strains and/or on new health benefits.