Healthy Snack: ProBugs – Organic, Probiotic Yogurt Smoothie for Kids

ProBugs, Lifeway Food’s kid friendly version of their organic Kefir, is a great way for kids have a healthy & nutritious smoothie-type drink on-the-go.

ProBugs is rich in “friendly bugs” and “probiotics” that help increase the level of good bacteria in children’s digestive systems and promotes overall healthy digestion. The fun flavors include Goo-Berry Pie, Orange Creamy Crawler, Strawnana Split & Sublime Slime Lime.

You can never have too many bugs.

Lifeway Probugs , that is. It’s their Organic Whole Milk Kefir for kids with fun characters and flavors even the pickiest eaters will like. Not only is it high in protein and calcium, it has added Inulin for optimum calcium absorption. Plus it has seven to ten billion CFU’s of 10 live and active cultures (friendly bacteria) per cup.

As with all Lifeway Products, this kefir is made with milk from grass fed cows that is free of rBGH (Bovine Growth Hormones) and antibiotics. And its easy-to-grip shape and patented no-spill spout make it a perfect no-mess snack – even in the car. Lifeway Probugs Organic Whole Milk Kefir. They’ll love everything about it. Especially the bug part.

According to MayoClinic, you don’t necessarily need probiotics a type of “good” bacteria to be healthy. However, these microorganisms may help with digestion and offer protection from harmful bacteria, just as the existing “good” bacteria in your body already do.

Prebiotics are nondigestible carbohydrates that act as food for probiotics. When probiotics and prebiotics are combined, they form a synbiotic. Fermented dairy products, such as yogurt and kefir, are considered synbiotic because they contain live bacteria and the fuel they need to thrive.

Probiotics are found in foods such as yogurt, while prebiotics are found in whole grains, bananas, onions, garlic, honey and artichokes. In addition, probiotics and prebiotics are added to some foods and available as dietary supplements.

Dr. Weil says that they can help to keep the digestive system in balance and functioning optimally, restore normal flora, and may support immune system function, especially when a person is taking antibiotics, which can wipe out intestinal bacteria indiscriminately, including those that help keep the intestinal tract healthy. Probiotics are an effective treatment for diarrhea, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.

When there’s a family history of allergy or eczema, babies receiving probiotics in their first six months of life (and whose mothers took probiotics during the last trimester of pregnancy) are less prone to eczema. Children with autism can also benefit from probiotics, possibly because they decrease leakage of large molecules from the gut that can trigger immune reactions with effects on brain function.