Emphasis on Therapeutic Beverages with Probiotics, Prebiotics and Synbiotics

The demand from consumers for functional foods that contain nutrients that may have positive health effects is rising quickly due to the growing global interest in these meals. Particularly, functionalized beverages have recently drawn special interest due to their potential health benefits, such as their ability to improve digestion, lower sugar and cholesterol levels, increase fiber content, boost the immune system, and lower cholesterol. Probiotic dairy and non-dairy products have garnered significant interest among the various beverages available in the market due to their diverse therapeutic activities and reasonable price. The market for yogurt and fermented milk is currently valued at €46 billion, with 77% of sales occurring in Europe, North America, and Asia. Due to restrictions on the intake of dairy products, such as intolerance to lactose and allergies to milk proteins, consumers are turning to non-dairy beverages like fruit, grain, and vegetable juices as a way to increase their intake of probiotics. This has also prompted manufacturers to produce food matrices-based beverages that contain probiotic cultures. This review article’s goal is to assess the probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic characteristics and therapeutic efficacy of dairy and non-dairy beverages.