Probiotics: Making a Niche as Promising Health Supplements and Complementary Medicines

Hippocrates once quoted, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” this ancient statement has certainly become a belief in today’s scenario. The live microbial food supplements, called as Probiotics (known to have beneficial effects on human health in various ways) are widely used now a days. Owing to their potential as alternative or complementary therapeutic agent in combating large number of pathological conditions and ability to enhance immune response, an overwhelming interest have developed for probiotics in medical field. Probiotics, being widely used around the globe by consumers and in clinical practice, a thorough understanding of the risks and benefits related to their use are of vital importance. This review addresses the concept of probiotics, historical development, their sources and probable mechanisms of action, clinical applications along with associated risks and contraindications related to the use of probiotics