Madi Myers explores some of the claims, myths and current evidence around fads and fashionable crazes.

Did you know that your cats need probiotics? How about your houseplants? Oh, and have you heard you should be cleaning your house with probiotics now too? They’re even making their way into cups of coffee and skincare. Currently, though, there are no European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) authorised health claims for any probiotics, as evidence presented has always been deemed insufficient.

Potential risks from consuming probiotics include infection, ill effects from microbial toxins or contaminants, transmission of antimicrobial resistance and immunological effects. However, the risk is generally negligible in healthy individuals, but those more prone to infections may be at greater risk, with altered gut microbiota or impaired immune response allowing for opportunistic infections. Probiotics have shown beneficial effects in addressing issues like preventing traveller’s diarrhoea and alleviating post-antibiotic symptoms. However, there are emerging and intriguing areas where probiotics are gaining recognition, but what is the current evidence?