Probiotics work great in juices

In a study published in Foods, scientists tested three types of 100% juices: with ginger and apple, with tropical fruits and with avocado. Three strains of probiotics were added to each one — the same Lactobacillus that are commonly found in fermented foods. And they gave me time to see what would happen after a few weeks of storage.

It turned out that even without capsule protection, the bacteria remained alive and active. All three types of juice maintained the required concentration of beneficial microorganisms even at late storage periods. And yet — they did not lose their taste, smell and pleasant texture. The probiotics in the tropical and ginger drink felt especially good.

A nice bonus is that juices with probiotics did not spoil for longer, and their acidity hardly changed. Even after the packaging was opened, the drinks remained stable for several days. Surprisingly, one of the avocado samples even tasted better over time: the acidity decreased, and the taste became softer and sweeter.

Taste, color, and smell have also been tested. 78 people were evaluated, and almost all gave high scores — from 6.9 to 8.9 on a 9-point scale. This means that the drinks were not threatened with any strange taste or texture.

What is especially important is that probiotics have coped without additional protection technologies, such as microcapsules or freezing. This simplifies production and makes such drinks more affordable. Although the study did not aim to compare different methods, the result is inspiring: herbal drinks may well become a new, tasty and effective form of probiotic delivery.

The conclusion is obvious: a healthy drink is not necessarily a dairy product. Smoothies with probiotics, fruit shots, or just juice with live bacteria are all already possible. And it is likely that soon such drinks will appear on store shelves everywhere.