Probiotic food ingredients support beneficial bioactive cultures in the human gastro-intestinal tract. They are a bacterial culture of a friendly variety and deliver healthy bacteria to the gut’s ecosystem. These “good” bacteria are supplied to the intestine by way of the food we eat. Friendly bacteria species include:

• Lactobacillus
• Bifidobacterium

Probiotic food ingredients need to be eaten regularly for their health properties to continue working. For example, research determined that a daily serving of yogurt was required for some lactobacilli and bifidobacteria cultures to remain in the gastro-intestinal tract. However, the beneficial cultures disappear almost immediately when yogurt is excluded from the diet.

According to George T MacFarlane senior scientist at the University of Dundee, probiotics including bifido bacteria or good bacteria are not present in high numbers in adults and therefore need to be eaten in significant quantity on a daily basis to maintain digestive health.