I have been watching 60 MInutes weekly for many years which I enjoy. I was so disappointed and frustrated with the segment on probiotics that I had to write a letter which is presented below. You can watch the segment at the following link: 60 MInutes 6-28-2020 on Probiotics
On June 28, the segment on Probiotics As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I was disappointed in your segment on Probiotics. It is a complex subject which perhaps needed more time AND an interview with a Registered Dietitian! The inconsistencies are real and so is the fraud. However, in my professional opinion, our microbiome is as important as our genes and learning how to nourish it is essential. And although I loved how you demonstrated that the Infant Formula companies are using probiotics as a marketing tool, our microbiome is very much affected by our method of delivery and how our mother's fed us the first 3 years of our life!
Dr Gordon's brief interview about obesity could have been expanded. He mentioned how one of the factors could be the diversity of the microbiome which can help keep us lean - that diversity depends upon what we eat! People who consume many plant foods with fiber and prebiotics have more diverse bacteria (not necessarily vegetarians).
And to complicate matters more, the soil in which food grows determines the bionutrients in the food which can affect the microbiome as well. It's Science which is complicated and needs more time. I counsel patients and teach classes and find this short video really makes sense to most everyone: