The Use of “Probiotic” Medicines is Increasing Day by Day

Reading Passage Question

The use of “probiotic” medicines is increasing day by day; around 9 million adults in the United States take these supplements-pills packed with microorganisms such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis, bacteria that are known to promote gut health. In addition, foods containing microbial cultures, including yogurt, bear probiotic labels claiming they build immunity and improve digestion. Over the past five years, the U.S. probiotics business has grown almost 9 percent to about $5 billion a year, according to market research estimates.

But do probiotics actually improve the average person’s health? Researchers are not sure. “A live yogurt with a few billion organisms sounds like a lot. But when you compare that with the trillions of organisms already in the body, it’s a bit like throwing a packet of poppy seeds in a giant weed field and expecting to grow poppies,” says Jeremy Nicholson, a biological chemist at Imperial College London. Nevertheless, Nicholson has found that some probiotics can have a dramatic impact. For example, in 2008, he fed Lactobacillus to mice with a transplanted human microbiome; he observed metabolic changes in the animals’ gut, liver, kidneys, and parts of the brain. Yet Nicholson discovered that the animals’ internal bacterial communities barely changed, suggesting that probiotics work by chemically signaling the microbes already living in the body, causing them to become more active.

Predicting the effect of probiotics on an individual is difficult. “A lot of them work in some people but not others because of differences in a person’s biology, genetics, and environment,” Nicholson says. Moreover, there is no conclusive evidence that commercial probiotic pills and foods will benefit someone already in good health. But David Relman, a microbiologist at Stanford University, notes that malnutrition may limit the gut bacteria that help digest nutrients, exacerbating the impact of a poor diet. “Many kids in the developing world are not able to make efficient use of their food supply,” he says. “A carefully constructed set of microbial strains could help them.”

“The use of “probiotic” medicines is increasing day by day”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 5 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. According to the passage, which of the following about probiotics is true?

1. the USA is not the only country in which probiotic pills are being consumed
2. Five years ago, the business of probiotics in the USA was less than $4.5 billion per year
3. Probiotics are proven to help improve gut health
4. Injecting probiotics in mice makes mice’ internal bacterial communities more active
5. Probiotic pills help a person with good health more than a person with no good health

2. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

1. According to Jeremy Nicholson, probiotics might have a dramatic impact on mice and humans
2. Feeding Lactobacillus to mice will be less likely to improve their gut health compared to humans
3. Injecting Lactobacillus in mice resulted in an ignorable change in the number of their internal bacterial communities
4. Lactobacillus works in the body by blocking the microbes already living there
5. Foreseeing the effect of probiotics on an individual is not possible

3. David Relman has used a quote in the second last sentence of the passage, most probably to

1. State how developing countries are facing the problem of malnutrition
2. Stress that comparatively children need more attention to their gut health
3. Show one example of a key use of probiotics
4. Show his disagreement with Jeremy Nicholson on the impact of the use of probiotics
5. Show how malnutrition might affect the gut health of children

4. All of the following can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT

1. The effect of probiotics in humans varies because of the differences in the bodily structures of individuals.
2. The issue of commercial use of probiotic pills is the reason for disagreement between Relman and Nicholson.
3. A person with good health might benefit from probiotics, but it is not verified yet.
4. Environment is one of the reasons that might affect the working of probiotics in individuals.
5. According to Relman, carefully constructed doses of probiotic pills can help kids.

5. The author of the passage is primarily interested in:

1. Probiotics and their benefits for human
2. Probiotics and the work of Jeremy Nicholson and David Relman
3. Probiotics and their use in the United States
4. Probiotics and the reality of their benefits
5. Probiotics and the field of Medical

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