DaytonDailyNews.com

ATLANTA — One of the hottest trends of last year is gearing up for an even bigger 2008 — probiotics. Sales of Dannon's Activia yogurt surpassed $100 million in its first year of sales, indicating that consumers are looking for foods that confer medical as well as nutritional benefits.

Probiotic means "pro-life" and humans have been consuming good-for-you bacteria since we first walked the planet. We tend to think of bacteria as bad bugs, but these tiny organisms are also used for good, living in our gut to help us digest food and confer other benefits, including enhanced immunity.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (www.nccam.nih.gov) notes there is encouraging evidence that probiotics are useful in treating diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, urinary tract infections and eczema in children. A scan of the grocery store shelves reveals probiotics appearing in foods from yogurt and yogurtlike drinks to cheese to cereal. There is even a probiotic chocolate bar. With so many products, how do you know if you should invest the time (you need to use these products daily if they are to confer any health benefits) and money (these products are more expensive than nonfortified foods)?

I asked Mary Ellen Sanders, a scientist and business consultant who is past president of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, how consumers can choose products that best meet their needs.

"Consumers who are healthy might want to incorporate probiotic foods into their diets for possible immune and digestive health benefits," she said. "For consumers who have specific health concerns, I encourage them to call the manufacturer or visit their Web sites. Ask if the probiotic it is selling has been tested for what you are interested in treating and if it is in a dose that has shown to impart the benefit.

"There are many different strains of bacteria used in foods — not all are equal," Sanders said.

Yogurts

Dannon Activia

Pros: Contains three live probiotic cultures, low-fat, a good source of potassium and calcium, a creamy tasting yogurt.

Cons: Each 4-ounce serving contains 17 grams, or 3 teaspoons, of sugar.

Stonyfield Farm

Pros: Organic yogurt with yogurt cultures plus four additional live probiotic cultures. Available in fat-free or low-fat plain or fruited varieties. Has 2 grams of fiber per serving.

Cons: Contains 22 grams, or 5 teaspoons, of sugar in 6 ounces of the fruited varieties.

Yoplait Yo-Plus

Pros: Contains a blend of pre- and probiotics and is the only yogurt with added vitamin D — 10 percent of daily value, or 40 IU per serving. Contains 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Cons: Contains 16 grams, or 3 teaspoons, of sugar.

Drinks

Dannon DanActive

Pros: Sold in small "shots" of 3.3 ounces, this fermented milk claims to support immune function by providing L. casei, a probiotic associated with gut health and immune function.

Cons: Expensive. Taste is not as pleasing as yogurt.

Dannon Danimals

Pro: Liquid yogurt that is marketed to kids in 3.1- ounce servings. Contains 25 percent of daily value or 250 milligrams of calcium per serving.

Cons: Contains 17 grams, or 3 teaspoons, of sugar per serving.

Yoplait Kids

Pros: Each 3.1-ounce serving contains 20 percent of daily value or 200 milligrams of calcium. Lower in sugar than other liquid yogurts with 10 grams, or 2 teaspoons, per serving.

Cons: Costly compared to yogurt.

Cheese

Kraft LiveActive

Pros: Contains bifidobacterim associated with digestive health; comes in cheese cubes or sticks in full-fat and 2 percent fat.

Cons: The full-fat variety of Cheddar contains 120 calories, 10 grams of fat and 180 milligrams of sodium per serving. If you want to try this product, stick to the mozzarella, with 80 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving.

Cereal

Kashi Vive

Pros: Contains the probiotic L.casei in a 11/2 cup serving size. This low-fat cereal also contains 12 grams of fiber per serving and is lower in sugar than most ready-to-eat cereals.

Cons: Cost and taste. It's more expensive than regular cereal, and it tastes like lightly sweetened cardboard.

Chocolate bar

Attune Chocolate Probiotic Wellness Bar

Pros: Fewer calories (100 calories per bar) and less sugar (6 grams, or 1 teaspoon) than other granola or energy bars.

Cons: Claims to contain more probiotic bacteria than yogurt, but no science to support this claim. Each bar contains about 7 grams of fat and 4 grams of saturated fat.