Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Bio-K+ Review


Fro-yo girl here. I know I bought Bio-K+, the fermented probiotic drink, years ago and I thought I reviewed it here, but I can’t find that review anywhere. I remember liking how Bio-K+ Original wasn’t too sweet.

Bio-K+ Original, a fermented dairy drink, was created in 1996 and could only be found in the Montreal area at that time. Later, it was approved for use by hospitals and prescribed to over 40,000 patients taking antibiotics. A published clinical study found the product was effective for reducing diarrhea linked to antibiotics and the also had the potential of reducing diarrhea linked to Clostridium difficile (Beausoleil et al.). Bio-K+ is the #1 recommended probiotic by doctors across Canada.

Over the years, Bio-K+ added other products: capsules and new flavors of drinks, including non-dairy and kids’ versions. I’ve seen Bio-K+ at quite a few stores, including Whole Foods, Gelson’s, Sprouts, and Erewhon. It is carried by some pharmacies at well.

Bio-K+ is not a yogurt. It’s a probiotic supplement that has 50 billion CFU in each bottle (the equivalent to eating 50 yogurts). One drink is 3.5 fl oz.

While I enjoyed Bio-K+ I never regularly consumed it because one small bottle was $5 or more. I don’t have digestive issues and I’m not taking antibiotics. My gut health is probably pretty good. I think Bio-K+ boosts your immune system too, which is something we could all use. It’s not clear whether healthy people should take probiotics though.

Bio-K+ recently added a few non-dairy options: Blueberry (fermented rice), Mango (fermented soy), Coconut (fermented pea & hemp). The coconut flavor is a Whole Foods exclusive in the US.

I tried the flavored drink flavors that are for adults and here’s what I thought of each. I didn’t try the Coconut flavor.

  • Strawberry (fermented dairy): This was the best flavor. It was tangy, creamy, and tasted like real strawberries and dairy. 4 out of 5 stars. 
  • Mango (fermented soy): This was pleasant though the mango flavor wasn’t that strong. There was a hint of soy flavor that I liked. 3.5 out of 5 stars. 
  • Blueberry (fermented rice): I could barely taste the blueberries. The funky fermented flavor was super strong. The drink was very sour. It contains less sugar than the Mango and Strawberry flavors. It was also thinner and not as creamy. I can’t imagine drinking much of this, and I like sour flavors. 1.5 out of 5 stars. 

People like to add Bio-K+ to smoothies, overnight oats, and chia puddings.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

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