There were 200 million occasions when probiotic drinks featured last year Women over the age of 65 consumed 22% of probiotics Probiotic drinks are mainly consumed because of their health benefits Seventy-six per cent are consumed during the week Probiotic drinks are losing their appeal Probiotic drinks consumption only increased by 3% over the past year, after years of growth. Women aged 45-plus consumed nearly half the drinks, but men are losing interest. Men aged between 45 and 64 account for most consumption but this has fallen by a third among males. Probiotics are mainly drunk at breakfast (72%) - a drop of 6% from the previous year - but there has been an increase of nearly two-thirds in consumption of probiotics as a snack at home. As more flavours are introduced, this may appeal to a wider variety of occasions in the day. Seventy per cent of probiotic drinks are drunk for health reasons, although this has declined slightly over the past year. In contrast, drinking as a 'habit' has doubled as consumers introduce probiotics into their daily meals. Three-quarters of probiotic drinks are drunk during the week - up 6% over the past year as weekend consumption has declined by 5%. Sixty-four per cent of consumers are likely to agree to the statement 'I have changed to healthier foods' and this proportion of consumers has increased by four percentage points over the past year. Lucy Wood