Are all probiotic foods the same?
By JULIE DEARDORFF CHICAGO TRIBUNE Ready for some live, active cultures in your chocolate? How about your breakfast cereal? Probiotics, the so-called “friendly” bacteria with health benefits, have busted out of the dairy case and are colonizing other areas of the supermarket. The bacteria, which occur naturally in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir and miso, are thought to aid digestion and support the immune system by balancing the intestinal ecosystem. But as manufacturers add the microbes to everything from infant formula and fruit juice to pizza, muffins and granola bars, experts caution that the word “probiotic” is widely misused by industry and misunderstood by consumers. While there are thousands of different bacterial strains, only a few dozen have been tested for health benefits. And though studies suggest some products may offer relief to people with digestive issues, it’s not known whether healthy people receive any benefits from snacking on live “bugs.” WAITING FOR SCIEN
