28 Aug 2019 --- Over two million antibiotic courses could be avoided each year if the US population took probiotics, according to a Chr. Hansen-sponsored study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology. The researchers examined the health-economic impacts of probiotic effects on respiratory tract infections (RTIs). The study finds that a generalized US probiotic intake could save the health care payer between US$784 million and US$1.4 billion through reducing work-day sickness and cutting out the associated loss in productivity. This is encouraging as the burgeoning probiotic trend continues to make waves in the nutrition sector.