Article: Why up to half of all probiotics 'don't work'.

Byline: FIONA MACRAE

BURSTING with 'friendly' bacteria, they promise to boost our health by keeping rival 'bad' bacteria at bay.

But many probiotic products are a waste of time and money - and some may even be harmful, an expert claimed yesterday.

Glenn Gibson, a professor of food microbiology, warned that up to half the probiotic drinks, yoghurts, powders and capsules on the market do not work.

'They've got the wrong bacteria or the wrong numbers,' said the Reading University scientist.

'Some have pathogens in them and some are completely sterile, which is quite an achievement for any food product.' The foods - regularly eaten by two million Britons - ...

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