New study reveals consuming probiotic yoghurt may be pointless for some

The benefits from consuming probiotic yoghurt may be ineffective for many as half of us are 'resistant' to the friendly bacteria, a new study has found.

These probiotics help restore the natural balance of bacteria in the gut. It can help in a number of way like reducing symptoms of hayfever, reduce the amount of time you suffer from the flu and even prevent stomach infection while travelling, the Daily Mail reported.

Certain drinks and yoghurts contain it. While experts have encouraged people to get a good amount of it in their diets, a new study has found it may not help all.

19 participants in the study in Israel were given probiotics containing 11 of the most common strains of bacteria. However, only eight were found to have any 'notable colonisation' of their gut by these particular bacteria, the report revealed.

Professor Eran Segal, from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Tel Aviv, told the Daily Mail: "People have thrown a lot of support to probiotics, even though the literature underlying our understanding of them is very controversial.

"Surprisingly, we saw that many healthy volunteers were resistant. The probiotics couldn't colonise their tracts."

Researchers suggest that probiotics should not be given to everyone, instead "they could be tailored to the needs of each individual".

The findings were originally published in the Cell.