Don't Be Fooled By Yogurt Labels

There is no question that yogurt is good for you. It's chock full of potassium and calcium, it's low in sugar and fat, and its natural, active cultures have a positive effect on the digestive system. Active cultures are, after all, probiotics: the active good bacteria that help your digestive tract.

Dannon, one of the most familiar brand names for yogurt, notes on its Activia® website that the "World Health Organization [defines] probiotic [as] a living microorganism that, when administered in adequate amounts, confers a health benefit on its host."

Sounds good, right? But before you by cases of yogurt, ask yourself these 2 key questions: what is considered an "adequate amount" of probiotics? And, what are the benefits?

If eaten daily, one cup of yogurt with active cultures is does satisfy Dannon's main claim that Activia® helps keep you regular. Particularly, the acidophilus and bifida bacteria have a positive effect in this area, helping both with constipation and with diarrhea.

Certainly, keeping regular is important. However, if you're seeking a comprehensive probiotic benefit, yogurt is not enough.

For instance, in the bifidobacterium species alone, more than 30 unique cultures have been identified as Bifidus regularus™ .

So what is exactly is this Bifidus regularus™? Dannon states that it's a unique derivative of Bifidobacterium animalis which it labels "DN-173". B. animalis has been used in yogurt products because it's more acid-resistant and "preserves better". In other words, it lasts longer; is less likely to lose its effectiveness.

A study done in Malaysia in 1997, however, made the point that B-animalis is so-named because it is a bifidobacterium found in animals; it does not naturally occur in the human digestive system. Although the study did not note any harm that could occur to humans in eating the animal bacteria, it did suggest the positive benefits of eating cultures that do naturally occur in the human digestive tract, such as those found in a quality probiotic.

A quality probiotic not only offers varied cultures of naturally occurring bacterial species found within humans, it also offers them in the proper balance. Eating a lot of foods that contain just one or two active cultures will not help the overall balance of good vs. bad bacteria in your digestive tract. The body will take what it needs of that one culture and slough off the rest.

Only a comprehensive probiotic, which provides a balanced blend of different types of friendly flora delivers what your body needs to keep regular, stave off digestive problems, fight disease, rid the body of toxins and, generally, maintain overall good health.

So, enjoy that yogurt, but don't forget to take a high-quality probiotic every day.