Health effects of lactic acid bacteria ingested in fermented milk.

Many recent studies have shown the health effects of various strains of lac tic acid bacteria in humans and animals and have tried to describe their ac tion mechanism in the digestive tract. A number and a variety of potential beneficial effects have been published. Some of these effects have already been described such as the improvement of lactose digestion and the treatme nt of diarrheal disorders. Other health effects are still a subject of cont roversy such as the decrease of serum cholesterol and the reduction of tumo r formation. The aim of this article is to summarize the probiotic effects of lactic acid bacteria, their mechanisms, and the fate of these microorgan isms during their transit in the digestive tract.