Probiotics and fecal bacteriotherapy: The line between deception and treating

The microflora of the gastrointestinal tract is essential for mucosal protection, immune education, and for metabolism of humans. Disturbances of these processes results in various diseases. Regarding these processes, there is a clinical interest in the utility of microbial therapy - the feeding of non-pathogenic bacteria, originally derived from the alimentary tract. Considering the commercial success of probiotics, there is still a difficulty for consumers as well as for physicians when choosing the specific product. Since they are classified as food supplements, and not subject to drug regulations, there is ongoing skepticism about the benefits they offer. Fecal bacteriotherapy is reported as highly effective in the treatment of various diseases, including those of the digestive tract. The treatment itself consists of feces infusion from a healthy human donor to the gastrointestinal tract of patient. According to current data, fecal bacteriotherapy represents an emerging and promising low-cost solution for diseases with which antibiotic and probiotic products have been struggling for years.