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Review
. 2013 Nov 13:1:52.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2013.00052.

Recycling metchnikoff: probiotics, the intestinal microbiome and the quest for long life

Philip A Mackowiak  1
Affiliations
Review

Recycling metchnikoff: probiotics, the intestinal microbiome and the quest for long life

Philip A Mackowiak. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Over a century ago, Elie Metchnikoff theorized that health could be enhanced and senility delayed by manipulating the intestinal microbiome with host-friendly bacteria found in yogurt. His theory flourished for a time, then drifted to the fringe of medical practice before re-emerging in the mid-1990s as a concept worthy of mainstream medical attention. Metchnikoff also predicted the existence of bacterial translocation and anticipated theories linking chronic inflammation with the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and other disorders of the aged.

Keywords: Lactobacilli; Metchnikoff; microbiome; phagocytes; senility.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Elie Metchnikoff (1845–1916).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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