The World Health Organization defines a probiotic as "a bacterium beneficial to human health". Over the last decade, the use of probiotics as a means to promote or maintain the health of the digestive system has been increasingly appreciated. Probiotics for oral administration are available in different forms or added as an ingredient in foods. In the digestive tract, probiotics may play an important role in regulating digestion, intestinal motility and protection against potential pathogens. Our understanding of recent progress has led us to believe that they may even play a role in controlling distant events in the intestinal tract via the secretion of small molecules that can act on distant organs such as the brain, and thereby affect the obesity, mood disorders or cognitive disorders.
A "healthy" bacterial flora inside the nose (the microbiome) is needed to ensure normal functioning of the epithelial lining and to coordinate inflammatory responses. Nose and sinus diseases, such as allergies and chronic sinusitis, are associated with the imbalance of bacterial flora and may contribute to the disease.
Until recently, there were no probiotics available for intranasal use. Fortunately, ProbioRinse ™ now offers an innovative therapeutic alternative to patients with nasal and sinus problems. ProbioRinse ™ is unique because it combines the benefits of nasal saline irrigation with the addition of a probiotic bacterium. By incorporating the freeze-dried probiotic Lactocccus lactis W136 to the convenient individual dose-packs of buffered saline mixture, fresh probiotic is reconstituted at the time of making of the solution, so that fresh probiotic rinse solution is used each time.