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What are probiotics?
 In recent years, there has been a lot of excitement about how probiotics can play an important role in our health. But what exactly does probiotic mean?
Probiotics are 'good' bacteria that can be consumed in certain foods such as some yogurts or drinking yogurts (like Danone Actimel) or can be consumed in capsule form. The World Health Organization (WHO)** defines probiotics as: "live micro-organisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host" (WHO 2002). The word ‘probiotic’ comes from the Greek 'pro-bios', meaning 'for life'.
** WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. For more details go to www.who.int The history of probiotics
 Probiotics have been consumed for thousands of years in naturally fermented products such as fermented milks but only came to the attention of the scientific community in the 1900s. The concept of 'beneficial microbes' or probiotics as we know them today arose at the turn of the 20th century from a hypothesis proposed by the Noble Prize winning Russian scientist, Elie Metchnikoff. He suggested that the long and healthy lives of Bulgarian peasants resulted from their high consumption of fermented milk products. The historical association of probiotics with fermented dairy products, still true today, stems from these early observations. What makes Danone Actimel special?
 Today many probiotic products are available. However, not all of them are backed by evidence-based clinical trials. In order to exert their specific health benefits, probiotics must be 'alive' up to the end of shelf life and be resistant to the effects of stomach acids, so that they can reach the gut alive and in high quantities. The effect of probiotic cultures at the gut level must then be demonstrated by scientific studies to prove that the probiotic product has a benefit on health. Actimel, which contains billions of exclusive probiotic L. casei cultures, is scientifically proven to meet these probiotic criteria. Danone Actimel is now the best known probiotic drinking yogurt on the market.
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