Effectiveness of Various Probiotic Treatments in the Health of the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Literature Review

As research in the field of nutrition increases in prevalence and variety, special attention has been given to analyzing the functions of the gut microbiome. This colonization of bacteria within the lower gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) has been proven to be key in processes such as cellular functioning, digestion, metabolism, emotion, and disease. Within the gut, there are various types of bacteria, some deemed “bad” and others “good”; this distribution of good to bad bacteria is what controls certain aspects of bodily function. Regulation of which bacteria are introduced to the GI tract is dependent on food intake, environmental factors, and supplementation of probiotics. A growing argument among those studying the gut microbiome, is the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of probiotic use as a clinical treatment. This paper reviews the current and relevant literature related to the gut flora of the gut microbiome, as well as the effectiveness of probiotic treatments in aiding microbe functioning. More specifically, this paper will address which probiotic strains are effective in managing and improving GI symptoms in individuals with conditions of the lower gastrointestinal tract