Time to ditch Yakult, Vitagen and yogurt for good?
If you’re a fan of beer, it could soon very well be available with a probiotic twist.
Yes, imagine indulging in some fruity flavoured ice cold beer after a long day at work, guilt-free!
Good News For Beer Lovers
National University of Singapore (NUS) researchers have created a sour beer that contains a probiotic strain which neutralises toxins and viruses.
This beer is set to regulate the immune system as well.
The brainchild of the ingenious concoction is Ms Alcine Chan, 22, a fourth-year student from the university’s faculty of science for her final year project.
As a frequent consumer of probiotic drinks, it came to her attention that they were mostly dairy products which were not suitable for those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to proteins.
This probiotic beer could be an option for those who face this issue.
Every 100ml of the beer will contain one billion probiotics – the optimal probiotic intake per serving that is recommended by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics.
Aside from its fruity taste, the beer contains about 3.5 per cent of alcohol.
Process Of Creating The Beer
Chan also shared that the process wasn’t an easy one. In an interview with The Straits Times, she said, “Developing sufficient counts of live probiotics in beer is a challenging feat as beers contain hop acids that prevent the growth and survival of probiotics.”
The beer took Ms Chan nine months to perfect, and it takes around a month to brew.
It was produced with the help of Associate Professor Liu Shao Quan from NUS’ Food Science and Technology Programme.
The duo has since filed a patent for it, and it was disclosed that a Japanese company has expressed interest.
Not A Substitute
However, before you think that this is now an excuse to knock back drinks regularly, dieticians caution otherwise.
Ms Jacelyn Reutens, a dietician from Aptima Nutrition and Sports Consultants said, “Alcohol is something that is definitely not a daily requirement, so I wouldn’t recommend that you drink this beer more than beer without probiotics.”
Till the beer is ready to be introduced on the market, a good ol’ Yakult or Vitagen can meet your probiotic needs.
