On Food and Cooking

L. brevis, for example — as well as L.
plantarum from pickled vegetables, and the
intestinal native L. acidophilus, do take up
residence in us. Particular strains of these
bacteria variously adhere to and shield the
intestinal wall, secrete antibacterial
compounds, boost the body’s immune
response to particular disease microbes,
dismantle cholesterol and cholesterol-
consuming bile acids, and reduce the
production of potential carcinogens.
These activities may not amount to
prolonging our youth, but they’re certainly
desirable! Increasingly, manufacturers are
adding “probiotic” Lactobacilli and even
Bifidobacteria to their cultured milk
products, and note that fact on the label.
Such products, approximations of the
original fermented milks that contained an
even more diverse bacterial flora, allow us
to plant our inner gardens with the most
companionable microbes we’re currently