I know the world of functional foods is really taking off, but pretty soon you could have an even more functional straw to gulp it down with.

Unistraw is slated to make drinking straws that'll add a probiotic boost to anything you drink with it. Using their patented sytem, the straws are designed to deliver "dry stable Unibeads" of probiotics via filters at each end.

They're partnering with the food packaging/processing giant Tetrapak to get the straws out there. Starting from the middle of next year, Tetrapak will include the straws on their carton packaging and both companies will be able to market the new device.

Over at Culinate, Catherine Bennett Dunster wrote an interesting article/explanation about probiotics -- live microorganisms found in foods which may have health benefits. Dunster writes that probiotics have been reported to improve intestinal health, boost immune systems and reduce lactose intolerance, but adds that there is currently minimal strong scientific evidence to support these claims.

As an immune-suppressed, lactose-intolerant person with an auto-immune intestinal disease, I've tried my fair share of probiotics. Though I used to take a powdered, lemonade-flavored probiotic, VSL3, which I dissolved in water, I've switched to just trying to eat probiotic-friendly foods. My experiences are pretty much in line with Dunster's report, in that I don't notice a big difference in how I feel based on how much of these foods I consume (my doctors warned of this). Mostly, I just eat them because they taste good and I figure they can't hurt.

My favorite probiotic-containing food is Kashi Vive, a cereal for digestive health that I eat -- again -- because it tastes delicious. I have to be careful not to consume too much, though, because it's also high in fiber (which isn't great for my intestines). Many yogurts are also well-known for containing them, and some companies have even launched lines of yogurts aimed at promoting digestive health (though there has been backlash). Check out a longer list of brand-name foods containing probiotics here at The Nibble, and definitely let us know if you've had success with any of them!

This one gets filed under "I can't believe this is good for me."
Chocolate has long gotten a bad rap, health wise at least. In this age of the health conscious consumer, a chocolate producing company has to do something to satisfy its customers' well-being as well as their chocolate craving. Well, Barry-Callebaut, a world leader in the production of high quality chocolate, has been working on ways to make their products more healthy.

Barry-Callebaut has found a way to make pro biotic chocolate. That's right, pro biotic chocolate. I was astounded, and then I wondered when I'd be able to try some. The makers are very sure in the claim that this product still tastes like the rest of their chocolate, meaning that it tastes good. The chocolate producer has developed a line of three kinds of chocolate that contain bacterium necessary for digestive health: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.

I don't know about you, but I was not very impressed with the taste of the pro biotic yogurt I tried. If there is chocolate out there that helps with my digestive system and still tastes good, then sign me up. I'll have a daily dose, at the very least.

Food manufacturers love bacteria, especially probiotic bacteria. The market for products that contain probiotics has really taken off in the past year in the US, after Dannon launched a line of yogurt, Activa, that included them as an aid to digestive regularity. The company's sales soared to over $100 million dollars and other producers quickly scrambled to work probiotics into their own lines, appealing to health-conscious consumers who are interested in improving their diets and lifestyle with food that is good for them, rather than by taking pills as supplements. In other words, probiotics appeal to the American consumer's growing interest in functional foods.

Probiotics are being called "this decade's oat bran," by trendspotters, who are referring to the fact that that grain rose quickly to popularity in the 1980s - and stayed there - when "it was shown to lower cholesterol levels." Oat bran ended up in everything for a very long period and it seems likely that probiotics will, too, provided that the companies that use them can get the same results from the live cultures than Dannon has. Known benefits include relief from irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, and diarrhea, but more claims are being made every day, suggesting "probiotics may help ward off everything from allergies to colon cancer."

For now, most probiotic products are dairy-based, including a TCBY frozen yogurt, StonyField Farm's upcoming dairy-based energy drink and Dannon's Activa and DanActive. There are soy milk products that contain probiotics and Kashi has put it into cereal.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the new yogurt, Activia, from Dannon. The yogurt touts that the inclusion of live probiotic culture, Bifidus Regularis has been clinically proven to help regulate the digestive system. I was skeptical, but decided to try it for the recommended period of two weeks to see results.

Well, let's just say that everything came out A-OK. In fact, I was very happy with the results, whether it was the fact that I was regularly eating something for breakfast that wasn't sugar-laden or deep-fried, or whether it was the Bifidus Regularis.

As far as the way the yogurt tastes, that was also a nice surprise. I am on the belief that most things that are "good" for me don't taste very good. However, I really liked the prune flavor, which I had never seen in a yogurt before. I also tried the peach flavor, which had a slightly bitter aftertaste. The only problem I had with the Activia was the fact that they are so small, and that they are pretty high in sugar. I would love to see a slightly larger container, flavored only with fruit, no sugar.

We've already mentioned  the new yogurt product from Dannon, Activia, that claims that the live probiotic culture, Bifidus Regularis has been clinically proven to help regularte the digestive system. If you haven't guessed from the culture's scientific name, it keeps you, um, regular.

Well, at the danger of publicly humiliating myself, I have bought one package of the yogurt to test the product's claims, and even went so far as to purchasing the prune flavor for the added benefits of the dried plums. Taste wise, the yogurt is fine, and I've never tasted it with prunes, which is actually pretty good. As far as the results of the Bifidus Regularis? The packaging says that you have to eat it daily for two weeks, so I guess I have to go back to the market and get a second 4-pack.

I'll let you know how everything comes out. (No pun intended.)