Probiotic supplements come in popular foods like yogurt or cereal, as well as in probiotic capsules, powders and tablets. According to Mary Ellen Sanders, the president of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics, “There might be value in adding certain living, non-disease-causing bacteria and other microbes to our diets.” She said that bacteria can aid in digestion, decrease recovery time from illness and out-compete harmful bacteria. Even so, the American public has been slower to catch onto the idea than European and Asian markets as many people wonder, “Are probiotic products really worth it?”
Activa probiotic yogurt is one of the most widely accepted probiotic supplements. The idea of bacteria living inside dairy products has been around for years, so Americans aren’t so “creeped out” by it. You can eat one four-ounce yogurt containing bifidobacterium each day for a month for $20. This product claims to reduce gas and bloating, while restoring digestive regularity again. According to Dannon’s own research, food took 10-30 hours less to travel from one end of the GI tract to the other. In sales volume, Dannon’s Activa is the best probiotic food in the American market.
Another one of the Dannon probiotic products is their DanActive Drink, which contains lactobacillus casei and costs $20/month for one 3.3-ounce bottle per day. Their website claims that the elderly can drink it to strengthen the body’s natural defenses, parents can stay balanced, stressed teenagers can boost their energy levels and young kids can drink this healthy alternative to soda pop. In their nutrition probiotics study of 180 people, Dannon researchers found the prevalence of colds and GI illnesses were no different than the placebo group. However, the colds for the Dannon drinkers lasted 1.5 days less than the placebos.
So the question remains; should you take probiotic supplements or not? Recently, scientists at a health briefing in London, England suggested that adults over age 60 would be benefited by eating more probiotic foods or taking probiotic capsules daily. They said their research suggests that elderly patients tend to have 1,000 fewer beneficial bacteria than other adults. Holistic nutritionist Mike Adams adds, “The population of bacteria in your digestive tract exceeds the total number of your own cells in your entire body. Obviously, it’s a good idea to make sure those bacteria populations are friendly.”
