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Probiotics have been receiving a lot of attention recently. Probiotics (pro- meaning “good” and biotic- meaning “living”) were discovered by Russian scientist and Nobel Prize winner, Elie Metchnikoff of the Pasteur Institute in Paris.
In 1907, working in Bulgaria, Metchnikoff was intrigued as to why certain inhabitants of the Bulgarian population lived much longer than others. Discovering that villagers living in the Caucasus Mountains were drinking a fermented yogurt drink on a daily basis, his studies found that a probiotic called Lactobacillus bulgaricus improved their health and may have helped the longevity of their lives. His research prompted him and others to look further into probiotics, leading scientists to discover many types of probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saccharomyces boulardii, and Bifidobacterium infantis; all of which have various properties and can have different effects on the body. From treatment of diarrhea to candida overgrowth to irritable bowel and Crohns disease to research on how probiotics are intimately connected with mental health and cancer, probiotics are finally in the limelight. As more and more has been discovered about probiotics and their amazing health benefits, this microbe is a powerhouse of health giving properties.