probiotics

A sign at an Abbott Laboratories campus facility in Lake Forest, Ill. On Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, the FDA warned health care providers and the public about injuries and at least one death in premature infants who were given probiotic products in the hospital. The agency issued warning letters to two companies accused of illegally marketing the probiotics products, including Abbott Laboratories, which was at the center of a recall and nationwide shortage of powdered infant formula in 2022.

Don't give probiotics to preterm babies, the FDA warns after a death

Associated Press

Probiotics, which supplement regular feeding and contain live organisms such as bacteria or yeast, can lead to invasive, potentially fatal infections or disease, the FDA said.

Ingredients, temperature, time all affect the microbial activity that fuels fermentation — and how fermented foods taste. As kimchi ferments, the flavors will change over time.

NPR Health

How hardworking microbes ferment cabbage into kimchi

Pien Huang

An age-old technique transforms vegetables and spices into a popular condiment with a zesty, funky taste. The key? Nurturing the right community of microbes. Here's how the magic happens.

NPR Health

Probiotics For Babies And Kids? New Research Explores Good Bacteria

Allison Aubrey

Sales of probiotics are soaring. While some studies on this beneficial bacteria show it can treat specific health issues in children, scientists are exploring how it may help gut health more broadly.

NPR Health

Could Probiotics Protect Kids From A Downside Of Antibiotics?

Rob Stein

Many marketing claims about the potential benefits of probiotics have raced ahead of the science, say researchers who are now trying to catch up. One NIH study is investigating kids' gut microbes.

Billie Iverson, 86, of Cranston, R.I., recently underwent a transplant of intestinal microbes that likely saved her life.

Consumer

Microbe Transplants Treat Some Diseases That Drugs Can't Fix

Rob Stein

When an especially nasty intestinal bug threatened 86-year-old Billie Iverson, an unusual transplant saved her. The medical solution, still experimental, was to replace her dangerous digestive bacteria with a healthier mix of microbes.