In the late 1990s, Lifeway broke new ground, becoming the first to bring a milk-based dietary supplement to America's grocery dairy cases. The beverage combined Lifeway's signature probiotic kefir with colostrum, making it one of the earliest functional foods designed to support both digestive and immune health. At the time, it was a revolutionary concept and decades ahead of consumer demand.

"Lifeway has always been ahead of the curve," said Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods. "We introduced kefir to mainstream America, and we launched a dietary supplement with kefir and colostrum 30 years before anyone else was ready. We started a conversation. Now that colostrum has gone mainstream and kefir is booming, it's the perfect time to reintroduce this powerful combination with Basics Plus. Many of the leading probiotic shots contain water, brown rice powder and sugar as their key ingredients. I believe there's an opportunity to bring consumers a higher-quality product, made with better ingredients, that is both nutritious and more affordable than what's currently on the market."

Speaking with Dairy Foods in 1998, Lifeway's founder Michael Smolyansky stated that Basics Plus was "intended to support the body's natural microflora and to maintain gastrointestinal health, thus supporting the immune system" and represented a revolutionary approach to blending nutrition with science. That early vision to deliver functional benefits through everyday foods is now at the center of the modern wellness movement.