Probiotics

[ali_kat]

Please can anyone tell me in (blonde understandable) English just exactly what they do?

I've always paid no attention, 'cause they've got milk in and I can't have it, but I've seen some today that are lactose free, and that has got my curiosity up

[anonymous-user]

So i beleieve, they balance the bacteria in your stomach, and therefore help acheive a feeling of wellness as far as i can tell!!

[Rude Girl]

If you're healthy and have a balanced diet, I doubt they do anything. Might be worth a few weeks if you've had some antibiotics or are a bit run down.

On the other hand, they're really useful if you're working long days. Freezer bag of bran flakes and one of those little things = handy breakfast on the run

[Urban_Ninja]

could be good to what previous poster said.


but they taste like absolute ste

[ali_kat]

Thanks Guys

And thanks RG - great idea, I've been wanting to do the Special K diet, but when you can't 'do' milk tis difficult

[ali_kat]

Cheers Jamie

Problem I have, is that it took so long to work out what was making me ill, I now have a complete phobia about milk, to the point that I can't even use a spoon that has been used in a cup of tea that has had milk in it

[grumbledoak]

They contain live bacteria, and the idea is that these bacteria are 'good' and will survive the stomach acid and 'colonize' your intestines, to the detriment of the 'bad' bacteria.

But, I doubt they are much more than 'Snake Oil'.

Unless you have a very odd diet/genetics, your intestines naturally have a good balance of bacteria to help digest the food you eat. Buggering about with the mix on the basis of a sales pitch seems unwise...

[Rude Girl]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

You must have a fridge the size of siberia. Our fridge door is mostly full of wine...

[ATG]

Me? Sceptical? ... Your stomach is a very highly acidic to the point where it was thought until fairly recently that virtually no bacteria could survive. For example, it took quite a while for it to become accepted that stomach ulcers could possibly be caused by bacteria and thus treated with antibiotics (or at least that's what I seem to remember). On that basis i find it a little hard to believe that the bacteria in the "probiotic" drinks can survive the passage through one's stomach to reach the more bacteria-friendly intestine which is where they're supposed to be able to do you some good.

[Rude Girl]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

You think they're troublesome now... wait until they start being attracted to local undesirables. Goats milk will seem like just a happy memory.

We have no children, so we (un)fortunately can't look forward to a future where goats milk might seem preferable.

[Rude Girl]

ATG said:

i find it a little hard to believe that the bacteria in the "probiotic" drinks can survive the passage through one's stomach to reach the more bacteria-friendly intestine which is where they're supposed to be able to do you some good.

You didn't read the small print on the Danone pot did you? You're not supposed to swallow them...

[Mark300zx]

There was a documentary on TV a while ago, and some independent scientist said yes they are good for you.

If you take them with a meal then there is more chance of the bacteria surviving as the bacteria can be carried down with the food past the stomach.

[Plotloss]

Load of old st.

Human physiology is basically unchanged for the last 50,000 years.

We've managed to get through 49,995 of them without toss in a little bottle, why bother arsing about with it now?

[Tanguero]

Probiotics; ingredient designed by a marketing department composed of equal amounts of psuedo-science, FUD and bullst...

ETA vital ingredient... a good dollop of FUD

Edited by Tanguero on Monday 26th January 10:21

[Penny-lope]

I tend to agree with most on here...waste of time and money, as long as you have a wide and varied diet.

Plus they tend to contain a lot of sugar

[escargot]

I've always been lead to believe it's pretty much a gimmick for most healthy(ish) people.

[captainzep]

We don't need a nutrionalist to understand pro-biotics. We need a marketing executive.

The same fella who invented 'feeling bloated' as a debilitating medical condition.

"Sorry, I can't come into work today, I saw a yoghurt advert last night and I think I might have caught bloatedness.

Unhn, god...

[comedy fart noise...]"

[HiRich]

Rude Girl said:

If you're healthy and have a balanced diet, I doubt they do anything. Might be worth a few weeks if you've had some antibiotics or are a bit run down.

They supposedly replace certain bacteria in the gut (and they all have different strains). So if you're not short of a particular bacteria they'll do nothing (and that counts for a lot of people). But if you are, one of them might help (and they definitely can do something). But it's finding which one that's the trick. So try each, and see if you notice a difference.

FWIW, Danone does nothing for me, but Yakult does (being blunt, I poo better, and feel a bit better). So every so often I'll pick up some Yakult. If you find one that works for you, buy it. Otherwise forget it.

[twistedsanity]

"biffidus actiregularis" my rse

[Scraggles]

saw photos of some kid with bloated stomach and then photos after a few doses, great for when have had antibiotics like i have recently