Probiotics are natural supplements that help to maintain a healthy gut and some have been used to treat various forms of gastroenteritis as well as antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.

Probiotic is the name given to specialised bacteria added to foods that are said to improve digestion or general health and to strengthen the immune system. They are often also called “beneficial bacteria” as opposed to some of the so-called “bad” bacteria, like Clostridium Difficile, that also exist harmlessly in most people in the gut. They can be particularly helpful in reducing the symptoms in sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, for which there is no known cause or cure.

Researchers are now looking at whether they could also have benefits that extend beyond the gut, such as treating illnesses from type-1 diabetes to fibromyalgia and they are also known to boost the immune system, to reduce the effects of cold and flu symptoms.