Beneficial effects of probiotics and prebiotics on human health

The primary role of a diet is not only to provide enough nutrients to fulfill metabolic requirements of the body but also to modulate various functions of the body. Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics are either beneficial microorganisms or substrates that facilitate the growth of these microorganisms which can be suitably harnessed by the food manufacturers and holds considerable promise for health care industry. Regardless of sufficient health benefits of these, there is a need to carry a multidisciplinary approach on safety evaluation as the conventional toxicological approach has various limitations. This article gives an overview of probiotics and prebiotics, their health effects, mode of action, growth and survival in GIT, quality assurance criteria and safety including future prospects.