Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria that may help your digestion and help counteract the effects of bad bacteria in your intestines. Some types of fruit drinks have added probiotics and are available at health food stores and some supermarkets. Probiotics are not necessary for your health, but increasing your intake does offer some benefits. Look for a product that contains live and active cultures.
What Are They
Probiotic fruit drinks are essentially juice with probiotics added to them during processing, and refrigeration is often necessary to preserve the healthy bacteria. Probiotics are most often linked to yogurt and yogurt drinks, but if you cannot tolerate dairy foods or don't like them, probiotic fruit drinks are an alternative. Several manufacturers market probiotic fruit beverages in many flavors.
Benefits
Probiotics have been touted for their digestive health benefits. They may be able to fight off the types of bacteria that lead to many intestinal problems, including diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's. They may also speed the recovery from intestinal infections and may ease constipation. In addition, probiotics show potential in reducing the risk of a recurrence of stomach cancer, treating and preventing eczema, the flu and yeast or bladder infections. If you have or are at risk of developing these health conditions, adding probiotic fruit drinks to your diet may reduce the severity of your symptoms.
Risks
Probiotic fruit drinks may not be a good choice for everyone, and some types of probiotic bacteria are associated with illness, reports the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Research on the effects of probiotics is limited, and children, elderly people and those with compromised immune systems may be at risk. Probiotic fruit drinks, when consumed in large amounts, may cause bloating and gas. Other complications that have been observed in some people include infections that require antibiotics, unhealthy boosts to the immune system and gene transfer. For most people, however, negative side effects are generally mild if they appear at all.
Considerations
Drinking probiotic fruit drinks may be a viable way to treat digestive problems, but their use should be discussed with your doctor first. The occasional beverage may not cause a problem, but for long-term treatment, it is important to be sure that probiotic fruit drinks won't interfere with any current treatments. Not all types of probiotics generate the same health benefits, so different fruit drinks may provide different results.
References
- Beverage World; Gut Feeling; Heather Landi; January 2011
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; An Introduction to Probiotics; January 2007
- MayoClinic.com; Is It Important to Include Probiotics In a Healthy Diet?; Katherine Zeratsky, RD, LD; April 2010
- NBC News; Probiotics: More Hype Than Help?; Elisa Zied, RD; October 2008
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