Probiotics in Ice Cream?

I just came across an article in the Journal of Dairy Science about the formulation of probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic ice cream. Apparently the bacteria remained viable after storage and met the "minimum required to achieve probiotic effects."  More information may be found here. This article disturbs me, but before I continue, some definitions:

Probiotic refers to live microorganisms thought to be healthy for the host organism (in this case, humans).
Prebiotic refers to substances that support the growth or activity of probiotics.
Synbiotic refers to substances or foods containing both probiotics and prebiotics.

Probiotics research is a fascinating area. There are thousands and thousands of strains of probiotics, and we have yet to establish the strains or amounts needed to confer the greatest benefit. Many products containing probiotics appear safe, but there is limited data on that too - especially in young children and older adults. There is much we don't know, but also much potential. I am excited to see what future research in the area brings.

Back to the ice cream. I'm alarmed by this development NOT because I am anti-probiotics. No, my concern is the "health halo" added probiotics will undoubtedly lend to an incredibly high-fat, high-sugar food. Sure, most people know that ice cream is not a health food, but do we really need another health claim to tip the balance in its favor?

Let's put this in perspective. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 (still in effect until the 2010 guidelines are published) recommends consuming less than 10% of calories from saturated fat. If you have high cholesterol, I'd recommend following the TLC Diet guidelines and reducing that to less than 7% of calories from saturated fat. Based on a 2000 calorie diet (and using the TLC guidelines), that's only 15.5 grams of saturated fat per day.* And that's generous; most of us should be eating less than 2000 calories/day.

How does this translate into ice cream?  Take a look at what half a cup provides:

• Ben & Jerry's plain Vanilla ice cream = 8g saturated fat (52% of the day's limit)
  
  
• Baskin Robbins plain Vanilla = 10g saturated fat (65% of the day's limit)
  
  
• Breyer's regular Vanilla = 4g saturated fat (26% of the day's limit). 

Also keep in mind that half a cup is what most people would consider a small serving. If probiotic ice cream hits the market and you choose to eat it, I hope you do so because it's a creamy sweet treat to be enjoyed in moderation - not because you expect it to regulate digestion, support immunity or anything else the label may claim.

Another product, Activia yogurt, has been promoted (by the familiar face of Jamie Lee) for decreasing bloating and "regulating digestion." This yogurt contains a patented strain of bacteria, Bifidus Regularis® (Bifidobacterium lactis DN 173 010). In fairness, the ads mention eating Activia every day may help reap these rewards, and do not mention specific amounts. But leave it to us to get carried away - a friend told me her father was advised by his doctor to eat several Activia yogurts per day to help with his constipation. That's a ton of added sugar and calories! Why not try drinking water and eating more fiber to start?

My point is you don't need to consume high-fat, high-sugar foods if you are interested in trying probiotics. There are plenty of available supplements out there with varying price points.  But you must look before buying and be willing to do the necessary research: Probiotics strains from the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Saccharomyces genera are considered safe if you are generally healthy adult (not much is known about safety in young children or older adults). Alternatively, you may choose to incorporate unsweetened plain, low-fat yogurt into your diet (look for "Live and Active Cultures" on the package).


*Math Lesson: Fat has 9 calories per gram. Multiply your calorie level by the percentage, then divide by 9. In this example:
2000 calories x .07 = 140 calories from fat
140 / 9 = 15.5 grams of fat