Functional foods are foods that have potential positive health benefits beyond that of basic nutrition, when consumed in high enough amounts. Foods such as these have been used for thousands of years to harness their health benefits and are used in cultures the world over. Fermented foods are a great example of a functional food, since the live probiotics contained within these foods are known to
confer health benefits when consumed on a regular basis. Similarly fermented drinks make use of similar types of bacteria to ferment the raw materials and are thus another example of a functional food. Fermented drinks contain liquid probiotics and consuming them on a daily basis is a convenient way to achieve a sufficient daily dose of beneficial probiotic bacteria. Probiotic-rich functional foods are only as good as the microbes that they contain. It is thus important that the product contains both numerous probiotic species (that are proven to confer health benefits) and have them in a live and active state that it is practical to use the product. The probiotics contained within the Probyo Functional Food range include numerous species from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera. Species from both of these genera have been proven to survive passage through the stomach and into the intestine where they proliferate. Furthermore, these species are live and active and only a small daily intake of 15ml is enough to deliver an adequate dose of probiotics. Other functional foods including herbs, spices and fruits are also present in the Probyo Functional Foods range. The fermentation process that these ingredients are exposed increases the vitamin content as well as the bio-availability of many nutrients. This is because of the action of the beneficial probiotics during the fermentation process, the end result is a product enriched in vitamins, nutrients and probiotics. Recent scientific evidence has shown that excessive intake of refined sugars may have negative health consequences. As such the pursuit of sugar-free products has become popular. The process of lacto-fermentation converts sugars such as glucose and fructose into organic acids through the action of lactic acid bacteria, resulting in a final product that is sugar free. The Noakes Foundation is a Non-Profit Corporation founded for public benefit which aims to advance medical science’s understanding of the benefits of a low-carb high-fat (LCHF) diet by providing evidence-based information on optimum nutrition that is free from commercial agenda. An important component in the LCHF (Low Carb/High Fat) diet is the minimization of processed sugars in the diet. Furthermore the diet plan also favours the inclusion of probiotics into the diet to support healthy gut function. For every bottle of Probyo Functional Food product that is sold, R3 is donated to the Noakes Foundation to fund further research in the field of LCHF and the Eat Better South Africa campaign. This campaign seeks to promote healthy diets amongst underprivileged communities.
