My grandchildren are already back at school.

“What did you like the most? I asked after their first day.

“Recess and lunch,” they replied in unison.

So I changed my question to, “Tell me one thing you learned today.”

Perhaps this is something we should all ask ourselves, especially in the ever-changing field of nutrition. So today in class we’re going to take a quiz on probiotics – a topic that may or may not be familiar. Make your best guess.

1. Probiotics are:

A. Professional robots

B. Friendly bugs in your body that make you feel good

C. Beneficial bacteria that live primarily in your lower intestines.

DB and C

2. The right balance of good bacteria in our body can…

A. Help us jump tall buildings

B. Combat certain diseases

C. Make us less susceptible to certain allergies

DB and C

3. To be effective, probiotics must be:

A source of income

B. Death

C. Taken at the right dose

D.A and C

4. What is the best way to get probiotics?

A. In food

B. In supplements

C. Foods and supplements are effective

D. Via sunlight

5. Which of these foods are not good sources of probiotics?

A. Kefir, yogurt, cultured buttermilk

B. Pecorino, cheddar cheese and mozzarella

C. Sauerkraut, vinegar and sourdough bread

D. None of the above; all contain probiotics

6. Probiotics help you stay healthy because they…

A. Fight bad bacteria

B. Get you out of bed to exercise

C. Help your body absorb nutrients

D.A and C

7. Since probiotics are living organisms, their growth is stimulated by

A. Ham and eggs

B. Prebiotics

C. This is all very confusing

D. None of the above

8. Prebiotics are

A. Foods That Feed Probiotics

B. Found in foods high in dietary fiber

C. A reason why we need fruits and vegetables

D. This is all correct

9. Probiotics found to be useful for certain types of allergies are

A. Lactobacillus

B. Bifobacterium

C.A and B

D. Lactosneeze

10. These probiotics help prevent diarrhea associated with antibiotic therapy:

A. Lactobacillus GG

B. Saccharomyces boulardii

C.A and B

D. Is this test almost complete?

11. Which of these statements is true?

A. Probiotics are safe for most healthy people

B. Probiotics may not be safe for seriously ill people

C. It is important to talk to your health care provider before taking probiotics

D. This is all correct

12. True or false: We still have a lot to learn about probiotics.

———

ANSWERS

1.D

2.D

3.D

4.C

5.D

6.D

7.B

8.D

9.C

10.C

11.D

12. Very True

Barbara Intermill is a dietitian nutritionist and unionized columnist. She is the author of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition: The Uncomplicated Science of Eating”. Email him at [email protected]