Probiotics, what is it?

Up until five years ago, the word "probiotics" was virtualy unheard of, except in cultured drinks like Vitagen and Yakult. These days, its everywhere on supermarket shelves. Probiotics can be found in most yoghurt as well as drinkable versions, you see at the supermarket and supplements in capsule of powered form, like in the most combination vitamin and minerals tables at the pharmacy.

So why the sudden interest in live cultures? Three words: Immunity boosting benefits. A Swedish study found that those who drank a yoghurt drink with the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus reuteri took half the number of sick days compared to those who didn't drink it. Indeed, these gut-friendly cultures boast a host of health claims. Among them, the ability to promote healthy digestion by fighting the "bad" bacteria in the body, prevent intestinal tract infections and reduce the risk of colon cancer and heart disease.

The question is, why, with 100 trillion and over 400 types of bacteria already in the body, do we need to add probiotics to our diet?

Research shows it helps alleviate symptoms associated with food poisoning, vaginal yeast infections, irritable bowel syndrome and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. It's suitable for everyone, unless you're on antibiotic since probiotics and antibiotics cancel each other's effect out.

However, experts remain divided on the efficacy of probiotics on healthy people. "So far, there is no strong evidence to support recommendations to take probiotics on a regular basis, or the need to take them to maintain a healthy gut," say researchers.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence, probiotics fans swear by its diverse health and beauty benefits, even our test subject, a Petchaburi monkey could not stop drinking it.