In the late 19th century, Louis Pasteur, a French biologist, discovered that bacteria and yeasts were the main ingredients that triggered the fermentation process. It was a big scientific discovery in biology at that time, but it was a Russian biologist who found that about the health outcomes of these bacteria.
Elie Metchnikoff was the person who always believed that not all bacteria are harmful. He theorized that the microorganisms could directly affect our health in a positive or negative way.
In 1905, Metchnikoff observed that many people from the poor Eastern European country Bulgaria were long life of more than 100 years or more. He wondered why as they did not have access to the so called “healthier food”. Finally he linked their longevity with the type of bacteria used to ferment the yogurt they would eat. For this discovery, Elie Metchnikoff was labelled as the “father of probiotics.”
For this outcome, in 1908, Metchnikoff shared a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with another scientist for their research in immune system.
Soon, another scientlist, Henry Tissier, a French pediatrician, discovered “good” bacteria called Bifidobacterium in the guts of infants. He suggested that the bacteria could be used to treat patients with diarrhea.
But it was until 1953 that the official term “probiotic” was used to label this type of supplements. The term was derived from Latin and Greek. It means “for life.”
