Probiotics are drugs, so we should test them like drugs
Only a few probiotic pills have actually been proven to work, despite all the health claims supplement companies make about them.
By Claire Maldarelli August 31, 2018
A new study that found some probiotics make certain infections worse highlights why it’s important to rigorously test probiotics before they hit the market.
Bacteria used to have an almost unanimously negative connotation. For good reason: The microscopic beings caused infections that made us ill and often killed us. It wasn’t until recently that scientists realized far more bacteria help keep us healthy than make us sick.
We soon learned that our bodies are an entire ecosystem teeming with bacteria, the majority of which reside on our skin and inside our guts. They help digest our food, keep our bowels moving, and when they can, prevent those disease-causing bacteria from making themselves at home.
https://www.popsci.com/probiotic-pills-risks-testing
