When it comes to viral infections like the common cold or influenza, washing one’s hands is one of the most common forms of prevention recommended from institutions like Mayo Clinic or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Within the beverage industry, one trend exists that generally spans every category: health and wellness.

Although consuming something that’s alive might sound like a challenge from NBC’s “Fear Factor” TV show, probiotic beverages introduce consumers’ digestive systems to beneficial live cultures in a more appetizing way.

Lifeway Foods launched two lines of probiotic beverages: Lifeway Kefir with Oats and Lifeway Perfect 12.

KeVita Inc. added three new flavors to its line of sparkling probiotic beverages: Blueberry Cherry, Tangerine and Hibiscus Berry Daily Cleanse.

Lifeway Foods Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., will launch a new line of kefir drinks featuring vegetable juices this spring.

Whether it’s because of its weight management capabilities or its preventative links, fiber is putting its stamp on the American diet.

Across the globe, consumers continue to seek more nutritional foods, beverages and supplements in order to improve their digestive health, according to a report by DuPont Nutrition & Health, Reigate, United Kingdom. As a result, digestive health is the largest segment of the functional foods market in Europe, Japan and South America, and it is on its way to becoming the largest functional segment in the United States as well, the report states.