Step aside, antioxidants; the biggest buzz in food marketing today is probiotics.

The term probiotics comes from the Greek word “for life.” When ingested, these living microorganisms replenish the microflora in your intestinal tract. This replenishment results in the promotion of a number of health-enhancing functions, including enhanced digestive support.

The purpose of this information is to increase the rate of healing and minimize scar formation. Individuals who follow this program routinely heal much faster than normal, with less pain and swelling and fewer complications.

Having studied 55 products labeled "probiotic," Belgian biologists conclude that in fact, not every product that claims to be "probiotic" actually contains the bacteria associated with this claim. In addition, in many cases the researchers found bacteria other than those named on the label.

Giving soon-to-be mothers and newborns doses of "good" bacteria may help prevent childhood allergies, new research suggests. Allergy experts say they offer the first good evidence that harmless bacteria can train infants' immune systems to resist allergic reactions.

High doses of probiotics, the beneficial bacteria that naturally lives in the intestinal tract, help control pouchitis, an inflammation of the small intestine common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, a new study reports.