These days, the term “probiotic” seems to pervade the dairy and drinks sections of supermarkets everywhere. There are probiotic yogurts, probiotic drinks, and probiotic yogurt drinks. The rise in popularity of kombucha and the popularity of fermented foods like kimchi and miso have also contributed to the probiotic health craze. The increase in public consciousness about maintaining a healthy gut microbiome can be seen as both a success for the food companies’ marketing teams as well as a success for science communicators, since the idea of microbes and bacteria are no longer necessarily assigned a negative connotation. And yet, even if these foods have been shown to be beneficial to the gut flora, even microbiologists are having a hard time agreeing what exactly goes on behind the scenes.
It has long been known that the human digestive system hosts a plethora of microbes that are essential to our daily functioning. Accordingly, the field of microbiology has been pushing to understand the multitude of interactions between these microbes, their metabolites, and the human body. However, as Tiffany and Baumler note in their review of the topic, further cataloging of the gut microbiota has progressively yielded less and less understanding of the normal gut ecosystem as a whole. There are cases upon cases of aberrant gut flora compositions, but if there isn’t even a consolidated concept of what constitutes a normal microbiome, how can these cases truly be considered deviant? It’s possible that, just like how the “superfood” category seems to get an overhaul every decade, the idea of probiotics could completely change within the next few years of microbiology research.
That isn’t to say that research has turned up absolutely nothing useful though. Studies have shown that, even though the exact mechanisms of action may not be known, certain stressors like nutrition and medication can alter the functioning of the microbiome. Moreover, the reverse relationship has also been found, in that microbiota has been associated with many cancers as well as the metabolic effect of many drugs. Even if these studies are mere snapshots into the grander picture of the human microbiome, they provide useful therapeutic pathways and knowledge that cannot be understated. Therefore, the more we don our investigative fedora in the realm of the human microbiome, the more the “probiotic” label becomes less of a marketing tactic and more of a well fleshed-out science.
Is Cereal a Soup 