Probiotics and Intestinal Functions

Approximately 70% of the body's immune system is located in the digestive tract where specialized cells play an important role as a first line of defense against certain bacterial and environmental assaults. An essential part of the immune system, called the Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue or GALT, consists of several types of lymphoid tissue that produce and store immune cells. Some research also suggests that probiotics have a beneficial action on the intestinal microflora, improving the functioning of the intestinal lining while helping to regulate critical components of the immune system such as lymphocytes, antibodies and natural killer cells following probiotic-mediated signaling in the gut (Woodcock et al., 2003; Parra et al., 2004; Marcos et al., 2004; Yasui et al., 2003; Cross, 2004).