Should Schools Have Probiotic Beverages?
Keeping kids healthy is difficult, especially when schools have limited options and there is peer pressure to indulge in soft drinks and other sugary, non-nutritive drinks that are bad for the body. Probiotic drinks can be an excellent way for kids to have access to something that tastes good, but that is also very good for building the immune system to prevent some common digestive issues, such as diarrhea.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are helpful bacteria that are often found in the digestive tract naturally. Some foods, especially fermented foods such as yogurt, have larger amount of probiotics that can assist in regulating the digestive system. There are several strains of healthy bacteria used in foods, including Lactobacillus. The most common way to use these bacteria is in food and dairy based products, but there are also probiotic supplements that you can take at home.
When considering should schools have probiotic beverages, you will want to begin by considering the risks and advantages of using the product. The bottom line is that these bacteria aren’t harmful, and unless a child has a milk allergy, or an allergy to another component of the drink, then probiotics are a great addition to the cafeteria. This is particularly true when kids are eating otherwise unhealthy lunches, since the probiotic components can promote wellness.
The Benefits
When considering should schools have probiotic beverages, you will definitely want to consider the benefits. For instance, consider the most common uses for these bacteria that include the following:
-Probiotics can regulate the digestive system.
-The healthy bacterias in probiotic containing foods can reduce the occurrence of yeast in the body, including skin yeast infections.
-Probiotics can reduce the length and occurrence of potentially infectious gastrointestinal illnesses
-Along with reducing some skin and stomach infections, probiotics can easily repopulate the digestive system with good bacteria that are killed when taking antibiotics.
-Probiotics are being studied extensively, and are completely safe. Studies have shown that these bacteria can enhance overall health and wellness, and may even boost the immune system and reduce some illnesses, such as urinary tract infections.
Probiotics have no known negative side effects, making them an ideal supplement in the lunch room. Even babies can safely consume foods rich in probiotics with no side effects. You will find that these good bacteria are found in many types of foods, including:
-Yogurt and yogurt based drinks. Look for a label that indicates the use of live cultures in the yogurt to ensure the yogurt contains probiotics.
– Some juice products are made with probiotics added. Again, reading the label is the best way to determine the strains of bacteria used in the product.
-Soy and miso often contain probiotics in varying amounts.
The Bottom Line
When deciding whether or not probiotics should be used in the classroom, you will definitely want to weigh the pros and cons. While probiotic beverages do have some health benefits, there is also the consideration that most beverages with Lactobacillis also contain a fairly significant amount of sugar, although the overall sugar factor will usually be much less than what is found in a can or bottle of soda. Additionally, those beverages with multiple strains of bacteria are often the most effective at fighting gastrointestinal upsets.
Most parents will agree that the benefits of probiotics outweigh the negative aspect of adding a little sugar to the beverage, especially when struggling to provide kids with healthy alternative to vending machine drinks and snacks. In fact, some probiotic based drinks are simply juice or pureed fruit mixed with juice, providing kids with more nutrients than other vending machine options.