Publication biases in probiotics

Excerpt

Probiotics are used differently in the food industry and in the medical field. In both cases the probiotics are used, as their name suggests, for beneficial effects. Ironically most of the studies have neglected the use made in the food industry of farm animals to study their role in humans. Indeed, the same chapter of a book, evaluating the use of probiotics in animals and men, mentioned that the same species, Lactobacillus reuteri, is used in piglets to increase weight, and in children to reduce the episodes of intestinal infections. The putative role of L. reuteri in this report as a “growth promoter” for children, as reported for piglets, was not suggested. Indeed later we found a link between weight increase and L. reuteri in humans [1]. In humans the activities of probiotics are mostly reported for prevention of intestinal disorders and diarrhea but also different chronic diseases (http://​www.​ahrq.​gov/​clinic/​tp/​probiotictp.​htm). …