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The world seems awash with probiotics at the moment, with supermarket shelves stacked to the hilt with all manner of foodstuffs containing them and barely an ad break going by without the TV telling us how wonderful they are.

But while we're all increasingly aware of the existence of these "nature's little helpers" are they really doing us any good? Is "friendly bacteria" all it's cracked up to be?

Known by some as nutraceuticals - nutritious pharmaceuticals - probiotics occupy an uncertain ground somewhere between foods and medicine, and as such their status as a medical treatment remains somewhat ambiguous.

This perception is fortified when you consider what the word "probiotic" actually means; it's simply a combination of "pro" (for) and "bios" (life), in other words "for life", which is a title you could equally apply to a loaf of bread. But while they might seem like a relatively new development, probiotics have actually been with us for a lot longer than you might think.

In fact, it's reported that people in ancient Babylon drank sour milk to help problems in the gut, meaning these "friendly bacteria" have been used for thousands of years.

And while they're still a bit of a novelty, doctors in countries such as Finland have long prescribed probiotics to help in a variety of illnesses.

A study by one American health magazine found that reasons for using probiotics range from relief from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, to avoiding health problems on holiday, to simply staying more healthy.

Such reasons for using probiotics might sound a bit vague but there's good reason to believe the benefits are very real indeed.

We all play host to millions of bacteria around our bodies and their presence plays an important role in fending off more harmful organisms known as pathogens. Quite simply, the bacteria that lie both on and in our bodies - especially in the gut - occupy space that is then denied to pathogens.

As an example, a healthy number of friendly bacteria in the gut can help fend off the sort of pathogen invasion that can cause diarrhoea.

Of course, we usually have these bacteria in the gut anyway, but sometimes their population can be depleted. This is especially true in cases where we use antibiotics, because they don't discriminate between bacteria and can therefore leave the gut depopulated, making it vulnerable to an invasion by pathogens.

So it looks like "topping up" the gut with healthy bacteria really can be a boost and many people choose to do this via probiotics, often in the form of "live" yoghurts containing bacteria such as lactobacilli.

But what are the other benefits of probiotics? It's widely believed that probiotics can also help digestion and improve the absorption of nutrients. Other studies have also drawn a link between the use of probiotics and lower levels of eczema and allergic illness in predisposed children.

Whether these studies can be backed up remains to be seen and the more outlandish claims for the benefits of probiotics are probably best taken with a pinch of salt, at least until research has truly proven them one way or the other.

But if having plenty of healthy bacteria in the gut really does help improve your overall fitness and well-being, probiotics get a thumbs-up from many medical experts.

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Q&A

Should you take probiotics if you're on antibiotics?
Doctors in some countries, such as Finland, often prescribe probiotics to be taken with antibiotics and there is some evidence that combining the two may help reduce diarrhoea associated with the original infection and medication. But remember that antibiotics will reduce the beneficial effects of probiotics - if they're not reaching the gut, or are being wiped out by antibiotics, they won't be doing any good at all.

Are there any times when you shouldn't take probiotics?
They're generally safe for children, pregnant women and older people but young children fed on formula may be better kept off them until there is more evidence of the beneficial effects. People with damaged immune systems - such as those suffering from HIV or cancer - may also be better off avoiding products that contain live bacteria.

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