All:

I discovered a new cheesestick that is quite yummy. It is Kraft LiveActive Mozzarella cheese. For some reason, I really enjoy the taste.. much better than the other types I have tried. LiveActive cheese is made with added probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial bacterial cultures that, when consumed in adequate amounts, can reward your body with health benefits such as improving digestive health, promoting regularity and enhancing your immune system.

Here is more information:
http://www.hy-vee.com/docs/digestivehealth_brochure.pdf

Sabby

Thanks Sabbykay, I'll have to try these.

Hey Sabby:
I eat the LiveActive Cottage cheese Soo good its a bit thicker than the regular!
Kier

Seems like this is the latest "food fad" as there's a lot of yogurt and other dairy items with this emphasis, but at least it's a healthy one. I've wondered about the probiotics but never tried any. Thanks for the info. My digestive issues have pretty much cleared up since I've started the SB WOE. I really didn't realize all the cr*p I was putting in my system. I'll definitely try the cheese if I can find it.

Yeah, I guess in some ways it's a "fad," but like the emphasis on whole grains, I hope it's here to stay. Actually the emphasis on probiotics and yogurt has been huge in Europe for many, many years. Activia and products like it have been in Europe for some time--we just happened to recently start seeing them here. I was pleased to see them, because I usually feel compelled to eat as much of them as I can when I am in Europe, knowing I won't get them when I get home.

The most important time to ingest probiotics/good bacteria in yogurt is during and after taking antibiotics--or at least that's what my mom always emphasized. She says that the antibiotics not only kill off bad bacteria but also kill the good bacteria in your gut that help you digest food. Eating yogurt helps put them back.

I meant "fad" in the way that food companies will come up with something like this and promote like crazy and then stop making them when the honeymoon is over. I think its our short attention span here in the US. Maybe this one will stick around. Are they for "extra" help if regular yogurt doesn't do the trick ? I don't know how to figure out if I need them or not.

Yeah, they're supposed to be extra helpful in regulating your digestive system, making things work better and making you feel better. Basically, all healthy, normal people have these bacteria in their intestines, and they help us process food. But things we do can disturb that balance (like taking antibiotics) and if we don't put the bacteria back in place, we'll have digestive troubles. This isn't just problems with the end product, like constipation, gas, and the runs, but problems with the actual digestion, like IBS, pain, etc. Women can also have problems with our organs and genitalia if the balance of bacteria is disturbed (i.e. yeast infections, etc.) and some think that probiotics could help there, too. Urinary tract infections would be one thing that they think it might help, but that hasn't been proven.

Here are some online articles that might help:

WebMD on Probiotics
CBS Early Show on "Bacteria That Will Cure You"
Mayo Clinic Overview on Probiotics
Mayo Clinic on whether eating yogurt with probiotics can help IBS (and other digestive ailments)
Lots of info from the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (a gov't agency)

Hope this helps!