Dairy Products Boost Effectiveness Of Probiotics, New Studies Show

Probiotics, those living bacteria and yeasts that offer a variety of health benefits, especially for the digestive system, are now available to consumers in yogurt and a variety of other food products as well as in nonfood supplements. But little is known about how the products containing those probiotics might influence their effectiveness.

Could it really be important whether you consume a probiotic in yogurt or other fermented foods and beverages rather than in a supplement? And is there something about dairy products that makes them particularly well suited for probiotics?

Results from two recent mouse-based studies, led by UC Davis food microbiologist Maria Marco, suggest that the answer is a resounding “yes.”

“Taken together, our findings indicate that the manner in which a probiotic is delivered – whether in food or supplement form – could influence how effective that probiotic is in delivering the desired health benefits,” said Marco, an associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis.

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