Ingesting live bacteria on an ongoing basis to improve health seems rather counter-intuitive.
Nevertheless, this practice is precisely the basis for a rapidly developing area of
medical therapeutics. This article discusses the pathophysiology of this unusual therapeutic
approach, reviews existing clinical data, particularly as they relate to the premature
intestine, and considers some of the theoretical concerns for the future.
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© 2004 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
