Three cheers for probiotics! And an extra one for the probiotic yogurt-like drink DanActive, a drink I happen to love very much!

Seems that DanActive or a substitute, was given to 638 children, aged 3 to 6,  all in daycare 5 days a week.  The DanActive kids showed reduced rates of common illnesses such as ear infections, sinusitis, the flu and diarrhea. Yes the study was funded by The Dannon Company, Inc., and yes, probiotics are faddishly popular, turning up in ice cream as well as other common foods. Nevertheless, the results are positive.

Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) DN-114 001 is the probiotic in DanActive.

• Parents kept daily diaries of their child’s health and the number of drinks consumed.
• Researchers found a 19% decrease in common infections among the DanActive kids who also had
  • 24 % fewer gastrointestinal infections (such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting),
  • 18% fewer upper respiratory tract infections (such as ear infections, sinusitis and strep).
• There was no change in the number of days kids missed from school so one presumes the infections were mild?