Probyo introduces the 'medicine of the future', live probiotics drinks

The new range is affiliated with The Noakes Foundation and R3 from every bottle sold will go to the Foundation for its research and Eat Better South Africa campaign, which seeks to promote better health in poorer communities. In addition, the company has committed to donating a number of the drinks regularly to be distributed on the ground via The Noakes Foundation.

Fermented foods are fast gaining ground as the latest food fad and health food wonder. Not only do they have an attractively tangy flavour profile, they are also better than their unfermented counterparts are, as they are cultured. Cultured foodstuffs contain live probiotic microbes that boost the immune system, aid digestion and unlock energy for the body. “Cultured drinks are what you would call ‘functional’ foods,” says Alastair Burns, director of Probyo.

Jayne Bullen, manager of The Noakes Foundation, adds, “We are fascinated by the possibility of probiotics as a new frontier in modern medicine and have already started clinical trials. Whilst still anecdotal to some degree, there is early evidence that probiotics ingested regularly through a variety of fermented food and drink products or in capsule form could become the medicine of the future. We are thrilled to have identified a local product such as Probyo that makes live probiotics so readily available.”

Three 'flavours'

• Probyo Digestive aids in the body’s natural process of digestion. It is a lacto-fermented fruit juice, which is sugar-free and rich in live lactic acid bacteria, as well as un-locked and bio-available nutrients and microbial biogenics.

• Probyo Immune packs an immune-boosting punch with a cultured blend of beneficial herb extracts including chamomile flowers, rose hips, olive leaf, elderberry, Ginseng and Astragalus.

• Probyo Sports is the ideal product for an active lifestyle, providing superfoods that enhance the body’s natural energy supply. It contains a combination of well-known natural products such as honeybush, aronia berries, blackcurrant, cranberries, goji berries, beetroot, sour cherry, turmeric, cocoa, Siberian ginseng, guarana and spirulina.

The 500ml bottle retails for approximately R120 at Wellness Warehouse outlets nationwide and selected health shops. The drinks can also be bought online via www.probyo.com.