Overview of probiotics in cancer prevention and therapy

Abstract Probiotics has become a word in the modern era of science that has attracted a lot of attention from health professionals during the last few years, mainly because of its significant beneficial effects on human and animal health. Traditionally, a vast variety of fermented food products such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, miso, kombucha, lassi, buttermilk, and fermented sausages have been an important part of the regular diet among different cultures and ethnicities around the world. Now, these probiotics have been reported to offer help in reducing the burden of many diseases among humans, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, antibiotic therapy, urinary tract infections, food allergies, eczema, inflammatory bowel syndrome, anemia, tooth problems, lactose intolerance, kidney stones, diarrhea, pancreatitis, and various types of cancers. This chapter covers some of the health benefits that these probiotics may offer for consumers.