ReviewMicroorganisms2019
Probiotics: If It Does Not Help It Does Not Do Any Harm. Really?
Review in Microorganisms, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
54 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Probiotics to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very preterm or very low birth weight infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Microbiota shaping - the effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplant on cognitive functions: A systematic review.World journal of gastroenterology · 2021Pooled it
- Effectiveness of probiotics and synbiotics in reducing duration of acute infectious diarrhea in pediatric patients in developed countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of pediatrics · 2021Pooled it
- Reporting of Perinatal Outcomes in Probiotic Randomized Controlled Trials. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2021Pooled it
- Probiotics to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very preterm or very low birth weight infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Effect of probiotics on length of hospitalization in mild acute pancreatitis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.World journal of gastroenterology · 2021Trial
- Gene Exchange Mechanisms in Natural and Engineered Probiotics Within the Human Gut Implications for Antibiotic Resistance and Metabolic Modulation.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Review
- UropathogenicAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Next Generation Probiotics Challenges: A Road to use as Live Bio-Therapeutics.Current microbiology · 2026Review
- DietaryAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Probiotic Strains.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- The Microalga Chlorella vulgaris Supplements as a Factor Increasing the Survival of Potentially Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria Under Environmental Stress Conditions.Environmental microbiology reports · 2025Article
- Extracellular vesicles ofGut microbes · 2025Article
- Application of Probiotics in Foods: A Comprehensive Review of Benefits, Challenges, and Future Perspectives.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Controlled Release of Microorganisms from Engineered Living Materials.ACS applied materials & interfaces · 2025Article
- Bioprotective and Functional Activities of Postbiotics From Lactic Acid Bacteria Derived From Artisanal Dairy Products.Food science & nutrition · 2025Article
- Probiotics and human health: biological activities, nutritional aspects, immunomodulatory properties, applications, and future perspectives - a comprehensive review.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Exploring urinary microbiome: insights into neurogenic bladder and improving management of urinary tract infections.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Review
- The Safety of Probiotics Intended for Use in Pregnant and Lactating Women: From a Desirable to a Required Task.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Probiotics for Aquaculture: Hope, Truth, and Reality.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Probiotics per definition should have beneficial effects on human health, and their consumption has tremendously increased in the last decades. In parallel, the amount of published material and claims for their beneficial efficacy soared continuously. Recently, multiple systemic reviews, meta-analyses, and expert opinions expressed criticism on their claimed effects and safety. The present review describes the dark side of the probiotics, in terms of problematic research design, incomplete reporting, lack of transparency, and under-reported safety. Highlighted are the potential virulent factors and the mode of action in the intestinal lumen, risking the physiological microbiome equilibrium. Finally, regulatory topics are discussed to lighten the heterogeneous guidelines applied worldwide. The shift in the scientific world towards a better understanding of the human microbiome, before consumption of the probiotic cargo, is highly endorsed. It is hoped that better knowledge will extend the probiotic repertoire, re-confirm efficacy or safety, establish their efficacy and substantiate their beneficial effects.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.