Probiotic Food | Good For You???
The Probiotic Market has been hitting the UK for several years now and has gained over £300million market, with adverts on the TV, in the paper and fitness magazines, so is this friendly bacteria good for us? Or is it just a con???
The marketing for Probiotic products claim, a healthier you, a sleeker you, a fitter you, but these rather vague promises of an overall wellness has provoked suspicion, how han such a tiny tiny bottle do all that?
Evidence from Swedish scientists have found that drinking the yoghurt type probiotic products are benificial and boost our immune system and shorten the effects of cold and upset stomachs.
This reserch found that by giving workers in the trial the probiotic drinks that they were two-and-a-half times less likely to take a sick day than the group not taking the probiotic drink.
Probiotics are harmless bacteria which occurs naturally in the large intestine and help stop such things as E.Coli, and campylobacter entering the bloodstream. The theory is that by topping up these friendly bacterias that the gut micro-flora improves and has a knock on effect to the immune system.
The findings by the Swedish scientists found that some probiotic bacteria have anti-carcinogenic properties and could possibly reduce tumours, while others can help against diarrhoea.
The conclusion seems to be in favour of Probiotic products. The sale of these drinks continue to grow and seem to double in sales year upon year.
However the marketing by several of these products is considered missleading and give you catch phrases like “Feel Good Bacteria” to give you an unrealistic picture of unobtainable benefits.
A study in Belgium found that out of 55 probiotic products tested, only 11 actually contained all the organisms listed on their labels. 9 of them even had no bacteria in them at all!
Other experts state that its all down to good diet such as the mediterranean diet, full of fresh fruit, vegetable, whole grains, olive oil and oily fish which came along long before the invention of probiotic drinks and the discovery of probiotic and Omega 3 is all you need and dont need to suppliment with these products.
So What About Some of The Brands Offering Probiotic?
Yakult, the grandaddy of all probiotics, and one Ive personally taken on and off over the years, I love the taste and a great shot along side my breakfast in the morning. However it only has one bacteria in it and considering we have 300 strains in our bowl, this one bacteria wont fit all of them. Its also a shot rather than a yoghurt like many of its rivals, so it doesnt have the added benefits of calcium and protein.
My rating out of 10: 5/10
Flora Proactive, contains AmealPeptide, which is a combination of two peptides from milk protein. Taken for two to four weeks has been proven to lower blood pressure. There is plenty of bacteria which is supposed to help the immune system and has cholesterol lowering effects.
Good however in my oppinion quite expencive.
My rating out of 10: 7/10
Actimel, claims to protect against salmonella and dysentry, it has a blend of three probiotics which keep disease at bay. It also contains same bacteria as bio yoghurt, but millions more.
Its another brand and product that Ive personally used a lot myself and Ive got on really well with it and has a great taste with different flavours available.
My rating out of 10: 9/10
By Mike Buss | Personal Trainer
Category: Health News, Nutrition
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