Probiotic drinks

[daffy654]

Is there any reason that I can't add one of those probiotic drinks to a glass of milk to make it more palatable?

[elliemay1]

Probably not though I've never tried it.

[annadomino]

Some of them taste lovely, check them out.
Can understand if you are on about Yakult tho.
Look at the Benecol range.

[daffy654]

I bought a strawberry flavoured one today and had real trouble drinking it neat. If I can add it to milk it will be much nicer.

[starone]

Don't see why not. I think it is like a liquid yoghurt so must be part milk anyway. Have you read the ingredients?

[China Doll]

Can't imagine anything worse than adding it to milk, I hate milk! I have the actimel ones, I got bored of the strawberry but I actually quite like just the plain original one, have you tried that?

[welshlibranr]

just cannot understand why we need these probiotic drinks!l..........just eat a balanced diet, that's all we need to do!......another fad!.......

[starone]

I have a Flora probiotic drink every day to help with too much cholesterol and find it quite palatable. But there is no accounting for tastes and what one person likes another will find disgusting. As an instance I am supposed to eat some natural yoghurt every day but find it very difficult. I mix it with cranberry juice and drink it and that way I can get it down. I hate milk too China Doll. Only keep it in the house for visitors.

[China Doll]

Not at all welshlibranr, the docs I work for were recommending it to one of the patients whose gut had got a bit sluggish; after a bug I picked up I ended up not being 'regular' so to speak so started drinking these and I'm back to normal and notice a difference when i miss one. Even if it's a placebo it's working for me, so no, not a fad.

[starone]

Come to think of it, I do not like any milk based foods, cream, butter, rice pudding, etc. And, welshy, my cholesterol level has gone down several points since I started drinking one probiotic a day. As China says, it may be mind over matter, but what the hell, as long as it works.

[askyourgran]

I imagine that you will dilute the biotic? ingredient in the drink and render it useless. I lke Actimel multifruit flavour, although I haven't had any for a while. I remember they did make me feel better, I might get them again now you've mentioned it. I think Yakult is less thick to drink.

[daffy654]

Thanks for the answers everyone. I only bought them because they were on offer, I have been advised to take some sort of probiotic by my doctor, I have some tablets on order but thought i'd try these while I wait for delivery. I will try it with a small glass of milk tomorrow. I'm not usually a milk drinker, I don't dislike it, I just prefer coffee or tea :)

[LoftyLottie]

I am feeling confused now between probiotic ones like Actimel and the cholesterol reducing ones like Benecol. Probiotic ones surely do nothing to reduce cholesterol. I use them to help with IBS!!

I love them and could drink dozens a day!! I can't stand milk though or anything milky. Weird.

[LoftyLottie]

They definitely help with my IBS and a lot of doctors recommend them for digestive problems. Probably cheaper to buy probiotic tablets, but not so delicious!!

[daffy654]

I need it for sluggish digestion Lofty, as far as I know my cholesterol levels are fine.

[LoftyLottie]

Hi Daffy, I realise that, but there was talk on this thread about it also reducing cholesterol. There are little bottles like Benecol that are made especially for this, but they aren't probiotic. Well at least I didn't think they were.

I had three Actimels yesterday!! I love them and this thread was responsible for me going and drinking the third one!! x

[xicede]

Milk is 'seen' as food and triggers digestion in the stomach which releases acid to break down food. If you add milk, the probiotic bacteria start getting 'zapped' by the stomach acid. Probiotic bacteria are tiny microorganisms and very sensitive to their environment such as extreme pH conditions and temperatures.

Adding your probiotic to a glass of milk causes problems for the probiotic as soon as it enters the stomach so suggest you avoid doing this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXvsQuHpfSo

[xicede]

Milk is 'seen' as food by the stomach and triggers digestion. Digestion releases stomach acids to break down food. Probiotic bacteria are sensitive microorganisms which are affected by environmental conditions such as pH extremes (eg acid) or temperatures for example.

Adding a glass of milk to probiotics will trigger digestion and the senstive bacteria will get 'zapped' by the stomach acids causing many of them to deteriorate and some will get destroyed. Not a good start for these 'friendly' bugs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXvsQuHpfSo

[daffy654]

I think I'll give your recommendation (advertised product) a miss after finding out the price xicede.

[woofgang]

do you like yoghurt? you can get easy yo and make a litre of it for about 2 quid, Its ver nice you can have it with fruit or strain it and make a cream cheese. It has probiotic bugs in. I am not sure abiut the argument that the stomach "sees" milk as food...what does it "see" yoghurt as?

[daffy654]

Its all an advertising ploy backed by pseudo scientific crap woofgang, the poster only joined to post the video. I Googled the product and it is just short of £20.00 for a bottle that lasts a week.

I tried the probiotic drink I bought in milk this morning and it was not very nice so I'm just going to wait for my tablets to arrive now.

Its a shame that Activia yoghurts are so high calorie (around 150 per pot) because I like them.