Magic Potions

We have all seen the 'wild west' genre films where the travelling sales man and sidekick, peddling a miracle potion capable of straightening backs and curing the incurable, come to town. You know the play. The salesman sets up his pitch, brags about the potions magical powers, then demonstrates these powers to the enthralled crowd by miraculously curing the tactfully placed, spectacular acting sidekick. We all marvel at the audacity of the salesman and the gullibility of the crowd as they snap up the latest from acme healthcare. At least with all the diverse range of consumer protection bodies and watchdogs we are protected from this type of con, and trading standards ensure there are no shysters roaming our nations selling lies.

Not so. Think again.

It is not surprising that some of the largest food conglomerates are resorting to the tried and tested method of product life styling to sell us the latest product that ensures not only an easier but better lifestyle, when in reality being absolutely useless to its target population. There are an unimaginable number of products that spring to mind when thinking of lifestyle food products that add no value whatsoever for the consumer when consumed. However I think I will keep this short and limit the example to just one. Forgive me if I seem overly blunt, but I have an acute aversion to the latest bastion of food life styling: the pro-biotic yoghurt drink. While confectionary generally makes no excuse for its frivolity, and alcohol makes no claim to enhance longevity (though some may claim to make you more attractive to the opposite sex and make you a superstar sportsperson, we are not really expected to believe this! Are we?), pro-biotic drinks seem to hint that their consumption will not only enhance your standard of living but also save you time in the process. These truly must be magic potions. For starters, just exactly whom are these products targeted at and what on earth do they actually aim to do for these unfortunates? Pro-biotics is the name now attached to the non-pathogenic gut micro floras that abide in our digestive systems. The back of your pro-biotic drink will call these 'friendly' bacteria – just to reassure you. However, to remain in good working order, balances of both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria need to co-exist in our systems. Pathogenic bacteria however, would no doubt be hard to sell as life enhancing for even the sneakiest of shysters and so the conglomerates prefer the 'friendly' cousins. So it may seem that the companies that make these drinks are truly concerned with our well being at a time when our systems are compromised by stress, time restraints, antibiotic overload and the malbouffe consumed via their other products. What even those selling these drinks generally agree, is that a healthy diet is adequate to achieve a healthy digestive system. Why then, are the already health conscious targeted by the companies selling these products. Super lifestyle images of young families enjoying their morning pro-biotic drink followed by completely inaccurate diagrammatic depictions of the inner gut workings post consumption of the potion are surly misleading. Accordingly, the type of person these drinks may offer any value to are those perhaps malnourished, super stressed, on antibiotics and generally unhealthy. Clearly, from the advertisements, this is not the targeted consumer base.

I’ll have a guess as to why.

If you happen to fit the criteria of someone who actually needs the supplement offered by a pro-biotic drink then you are unlikely to be a health-orientated consumer in the first place. Possibly, if your diet is constricted enough by an unfortunate celebrity diet programme (really aimed not at health but at weight loss) and any supplement that replaces the benefits usually gained from eating/living remotely normally will compliment this diet, then these drinks may well be for you. But for the majority of people, these drinks cannot hope to increase your standard of living. In fact, the thrust of the marketing behind these drinks is like Pepsi claiming their cola product is good for you as it provides a source of water intake! The fact that these products are also marketed as daily-administered products also arouses suspicion as to their actual purpose. Again, I get the feeling that rather than offering any real health improving benefit, these drinks are simply taking advantage of a growing discomfort and vulnerability amongst the consuming public when it comes to healthy eating and living. Some are quite blatant about the sort of sheep they want in their consumer flock. Danone’s pro-biotic drink Actimel ® comes in a four pack with an excited statement on the front and back urging the consumer to start 'The Actimel ® Habit!' Others like Müller chose to name their product after the fallacy of the result of its consumption: in this case 'Vitality'. Interesting, I think, that a leading dog food manufacturer chose the same name for their product!

Another concern I would have about these drinks is the source of the live cultures contained within the products. Obviously these products are massed produced and uniform in content. The question I would raise is that of the origin of the live culture element – and how this element finds its way into the mix, as well as what the possible effects are of to much intake? Also, are these cultures naturally occurring or are they manufactured? I ask this because some of the live cultures that the pro-biotic drinks’ boast as ingredients carry registered trademarks. For example L. casei Imunitass ®. Clearly naturally occurring living organisms cannot be trademarked.

Finally, I believe people should consume whatever they wish. However, I also believe they deserve respect when it comes to making their choice. If you like the taste of pro-biotic drinks then go for it. However, if you believe they may somehow enhance your health – think again. If you read the small print, the producers of these products tell you this themselves. Taken from the Müller “Vitality” pro-biotics website:

'Healthcare advice given on this website is of a general nature only. Müller UK makes no claims or warranties as to its accuracy, or usefulness. Specific medical advice should always be sought from a qualified medical practitioner…'

Shock.

Malbouffe…
AC