Therapeutic Potential of Probiotics: A Review of Their Role in Modulating Inflammation.

Probiotics are characterized as beneficial live microorganisms which, when consumed in sufficient quantities, provide measurable health advantages to the host organism. These beneficial microbes, primarily comprising specific strains of bacteria and yeasts, play a critical role in restoring and maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis, enhancing gastrointestinal health, strengthening immune responses, and exerting systemic physiological effects beyond the digestive tract. This review explores the therapeutic potential of probiotics in managing immune-mediated and inflammatory conditions, with a particular emphasis on their role in reestablishing gastrointestinal equilibrium. Emerging clinical evidence underscores the efficacy of probiotics in addressing conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), metabolic syndrome, and other gastrointestinal disorders. Notably, strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus have demonstrated therapeutic benefits by enhancing mucosal barrier integrity and modulating immune responses through the regulation of cytokine production. Furthermore, chronic inflammatory states are increasingly linked to the pathogenesis of complex diseases, highlighting the importance of probiotics as a preventive and therapeutic strategy. This review also emphasizes the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of probiotics and their implications for public health, advocating for greater awareness of their potential in mitigating inflammation-related diseases.