Yogurt can prevent flu

UNITED STATES. Probiotics — the healthy bacteria found in food and dairy products like yogurt — may be able to prevent the flu.

The journal Pediatrics, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, just released new information regarding probiotics. Professionally known as T-probiotics, these live cultures are a type of “good” bacteria added to foods that are helpful for keeping the digestive system on track as well as boosting your immune system.

Even though the flu vaccine is still the most recommended form of prevention, natural health remedies are becoming more commonplace due to the easy access to supplements and other organic ingredients as well as a lowered cost than the doctor’s visit and the vaccination.

Danisco, a Danish supplement company, sponsored the probiotics study in which researchers followed a group of young children between the ages of 3 to 5 years old over a period of six months.

When given probiotics to two groups of children two times per day (either Lactobacillus acidophilus or a combination of L acidophilus and Bifidobacterium) during the half a year of research, their symptoms were found to be significantly lower than the third placebo group.

As a non-drug, natural approach, exchanging antibiotics for probiotics seems like it could be a safer option for parents not wanting to give harsh drugs to their young children. Both groups of young kids given probiotics (singular and combination) showed reduced fevers by 53 and 72 percent, coughing by over 41 and 62 percent, and the sniffles by 28 and 58 percent and also had to stay home due to flu symptoms fewer days than the placebo group.