Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (1999) 43, 849
© 1999 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Book review |
Probiotics: a Critical Review
G. W. Tannock, Ed. Horizon Scientific Press, Wymondham, UK, 1999. ISBN 1-898486-15-8. £59.99.
Department of Medical Microbiology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London NW3 2PF, UK
Do you buy bioyoghurt because (to quote a 1970s' TV advertisement for an alcoholic beverage) " it looks good, it tastes good and by golly it does you good" ? Wrong! According to the Introduction of this book you buy it because its " organoleptic and rheological characteristics" are preferable to regular yoghurts, and you have a vague idea that " consumption of the product will contribute to . . . well-being" .
Probiotics is, however, a serious subject that involves much more than bioyoghurts. The concept that the body flora can be modulated in a way beneficial to health is as old as the century, but is only just emerging from the shadows of `alternative medicine' . One only has to observe the proferation of health food outlets and articles on `healthy living' in the Sunday supplements to realize the importance of the topic. Think about it: the public is, in large numbers, seeking out viable bacteria in order to consume them on a regular basis. Surely this practice must be the concern of all microbiologists: is it safe, helpful, well regulated, desirable?
Some of the answers, or at least clues, will be found from reading this book. There are 10 chapters, written by acknowledged experts—food scientists, animal scientists, microbiologists and one representative from industry— from seven countries. Topics covered include several aspects of intestinal flora, probiotics in farm animals (a hot subject now that antibiotics as growth promoters appear to be being phased out), immunology, clinical trials and prebiotics (specific feeding of one's own `friendly' bacteria). I missed comments on the usefulness of API kits for identifying lactobacilli and bifidobacteria; if one has to use molecular methods for all identifications, only specialist laboratories will be able to participate. This would be a pity, as if ever there was a field where the gifted amateur can still contribute, probiotics is it.
There is a lot to absorb in this book, but it is worth the effort. For beginners, I recommend reading it as a main course after you have experienced the aperitif of the contents of Supplement 2 to the British Journal of Nutrition, volume 80 (1998).
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