Acidophilus milk is regular milk which has been enriched by adding the probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, to it. This enrichment strengthens and fortifies the balance of microflora living within the gastrointestinal tract.
Individuals who may be lactose intolerant are often able to drink acidophilus milk in place of regular milk. Different probiotic milk products will contain different quantities and qualities of Acidophilus strains.
You can find this product sold at Whole Foods, Walmart and many other food and health product retailers. However, it is important to research individual brands to ensure you are purchasing an effective supplement and not a probiotic in name only.



- Supports a healthy immune system & microflora
- Promotes digestion & nutrient absoprtion
- Combats pathogenic bacteria; Improves metabolism
Who Should Drink Acidophilus Milk?
Related Topics
- What are Probiotics?
- Probiotic Benefits
- Best Probiotic Strains
- Probiotic Side Effects
- Probiotic Supplements
- Probiotic Foods
- Best Probiotic Yogurt
- Probiotics for Children
- Probiotics for Women
- Yeast Infections
- What are Prebotics?
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Lactobacillus Bulgaricus
- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
- Bifidobacterium Bifidum
- Bifidobacterium Infantis
- Bifidus Regularis
Acidophilus, or L. acidophilus, is a living organism which needs to be alive at the time of ingestion to be considered viable and beneficial. Microorganisms are considered to be probiotic when, if administered in adequate amounts, they are able to impart beneficial effects on their host organism (humans and other mammals).
Of all the probiotic bacteria, L. acidophilus is the most well-studied, well-researched and well-proven probiotic available. It is a foundational bacteria which makes the work other probiotics easier to perform.
Small amounts of probiotics including Acidophilus exist naturally in milk. But more recently, several different brands of probiotic-enriched milk have been introduced to the market to meet consumer demand for probiotic supplementation.
Milk which has been enriched with acidophilus usually tastes a little tangy, and if sugar has been added it may taste sweeter than regular milk and will contain more calories. It is also typically a bit thicker. The shelf life of acidophilus milk is usually longer than regular milk.
Benefits of Lactobacillus Acidophilus in Milk
Some doctors prescribe acidophilus supplementation when the balance of microflora within the intestines has been disturbed or disrupted. Disruption can be due to injury, illness or treatment with antibiotics.
When disrupted, the balance between the healthy and harmful bacteria can change, leaving an individual susceptible to illness, disease, digestive discomfort or disorders.
Antibiotics are helpful when we are ill, but they are unable to distinguish between helpful and harmful bacteria, so they indiscriminately set about killing all of them. In healthy individuals, this balance will slowly return to normal within 1 to 6 months, while in less healthy people, it may remain disrupted indefinitely.
Supplementing with acidophilus during, and following, antibiotic treatment helps to restore the balance more quickly and efficiently.
Research shows our immune system is directly impacted by the bacteria inhabiting our gut region. The microflora balance fluctuates naturally throughout our lives, but in general, healthy gut flora is associated with healthy humans.
Acidophilus milk not only helps individuals with lactose intolerance, but also works to keep the GI tract in check each day.
It does this by introducing fresh live acidophilus bacteria to the intestine where it colonizes and begins converting sugars to lactic acid. This acidic environment is inhibitive to pathogenic organisms which find the environment unsuitable for habitation.
Acidophilus Milk as a Supplement
Those who drink acidophilus milk, tend to drink it daily. Thus, it can be similar to taking an acidophilus supplement. The main difference between acidophilus milk and tablets or pills is the dose of acidophilus they are able to provide each day.
Pills and tablets provide a consistent standardized daily dose without variation, while the colony-forming units (CFUs) in a glass of acidophilus milk will vary from day to day, and from container to container.
In addition, bacteria can be sensitive to temperature fluctuations, oxygen exposure and light exposure which can cause significant reduction of viability in milk products.
If drinking acidophilus milk, buy from reputable manufacturers who are careful regarding production methods, as well as shipping and stocking guidelines.
Acidophilus milk, when used in place of regular milk, can add another dimension of health to your daily routine. It can be eaten over whole-grain cereals, used in shakes or as a drink with a meal. Another option is Lactobacillus-enriched yogurt.
A majority of people using acidophilus enriched milk products report decreases of bloating (after meals), as well as a reduction or elimination of flatulence due to lactose intolerance. Many people say they feel better overall and experience better bowel function, including regularity.
Recent studies indicate that acidophilus contributes to lowering overall cholesterol. More research is currently under way to investigate how acidophilus can be used in this capacity.
How Much Acidophilus Do I Need?
When taking acidophilus as part of a daily health regimen, 1-2 billion CFUs is recommended each day. Most milks enriched with acidophilus contain much lower quantities than this, however, bear in mind that many people are eating some acidophilus naturally on vegetables and in fermented food products.
If choosing between acidophilus enriched milk or non-enriched, the enriched milk is a better choice for health.
For restoring the microflora in the gut after treatment with antibiotics, acidophilus milk is probably not the best choice. This is because the lactose in milk requires a high volume of positive bacteria to be present in the gut already in order for it to be properly processed.
Instead, choose supplements in pill or tablet form when trying to re-establish a healthy flora following a disturbance. In this instance, more is better than less, as the healthy bacteria rely on strength in numbers to out-compete pathogenic microorganisms for space in the intestinal lumen.
For replenishing proper balance of microbiota, use a quality supplement for at least two weeks. Following this time, the colony of health bacteria in your intestines should be restored and your body will be able to process lactose normally again.
Then it should be okay to go back to supplementing with acidophilus milk and eating other food products enriched with this potent bacteria.
Conclusion
Drinking acidophilus milk in place of regular milk has been found to help many people who with lactose intolerance. Bloating, flatulence and abdominal discomfort often abate when using a healthy enriched acidophilus milk product.
There are fewer live colonies of Lactobacillus Acidophilus provided in milk than in probiotic pills or supplements. Thus, for treating certain health conditions these products may prove more effective.
- Inoue Y, Kambara T, Murata N, Komori-Yamaguchi J, Matsukura S, Takahashi Y, Ikezawa Z, Aihara M. Effects of oral administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92 on the symptoms and serum cytokines of atopic dermatitis in Japanese adults: a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2014
- Wang YH, Huang Y. Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum supplementation to standard triple therapy on Helicobacter pylori eradication and dynamic changes in intestinal flora. World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2014
- Guandalini S. Probiotics for prevention and treatment of diarrhea. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2011
- Reid G, Bruce AW, McGroarty JA, Cheng KJ, Costerton JW. Is there a role for lactobacilli in prevention of urogenital and intestinal infections? Clin Microbiol Rev. 1990
- Kailasapathy K, Chin J. Survival and therapeutic potential of probiotic organisms with reference to Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium spp. Immunol Cell Biol. 2000
- Falagas M, Betsi GI, Athanasiou S. Probiotics for the treatment of women with bacterial vaginosis. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2007
- Mechoud MA, Juarez GE, de Valdez GF, Rodriguez AV. Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1098 and Lactobacillus acidophilus CRL 1014 differently reduce in vitro immunotoxic effect induced by Ochratoxin A. Food Chem Toxicol. 2012
Article last updated on: April 28th, 2018 by Nootriment
6 Comments
can you tell me where in Oklahoma City one can buy acidophilus milk, Hiland Dairy made it here but no one seem to be selling it now. Are there health food chains that carry it in this area
Hi,
I live in Sussex County, Delaware. Is there anywhere in southern Delaware to buy acidophilus milk?
I know when I was looking for it at my local grocery store I simply asked the person in charge of the dairy case if they would start stocking it. I asked for 64oz or 128oz, whichever they would stock. They initially ordered 1/2 gallon containers but quickly switched to gallon jugs. I catch it on clearance price for 25 cents per gallon quite regularly as it nears the marked expiration date. It is no more costly than regular milk at my grocer, but when marked down they take a deep deep discount immediately. I LOVE to make eggnog with it. I prefer to make raw eggnog personally, using cage-free organic eggs from a respected source; and since I keep it raw I maintain the live, active L.acidophilus cultures. You do not have to worry about your eggnog actively lactofermenting in refrigerator because lactofermentation usually requires temperatures above 59F, and Bacillus acidophilus particularly needs ‘thermophilic’ range temperatures of 85-120°F to grow/multiply.
Great overview of commercial production, http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/239874
**Here is how I make Acidophilus Milk at home:
I source pure Lb.acidophilus at pharmacy (make sure no other culture strains are present, you want and need what is called a monoculture of Bacillus acidophilus).
-SLOWLY heat skim to whole milk to 190F, hold at this temp for at least 30 minutes and then pour into a clean container that will not shatter as you pour the hot milk into it
-Cool the hot milk quickly by transferring the newly filled container to a sink partially filled with ice water, stir often to expedite cooling. When temp is in range of 86-120°F move to next step.
– Add 1 gram acidophilus powder per cup of milk, stir well,wait 5 minutes
— during this 5 minute wait prep your jar(s).
I prefer to use 32-64 ounce glass jars when making a drinking style, and 8-16 ounce for a spoonable version. The outcome is more consistent especially if goal is spoonable consistency if you use smaller volume containers. I fill my clean jars with screaming hot water, attach lids and let them warm while culture is dissolving in my 86-120° F milk.
-At 5 minute mark I pour the water out of my jars (it gets used elsewhere that day), stir the culture added milk, taking care to reach bottom of container as well, and then fill my warm jars.
-Seal jars airtight (no CO2 or alcohol produced) and incubate at 86-120°F until pH drops to at least 4.6 and continue to incubate until desired consistency reached. Typical consistency ranges from custard-style yogurt or pourable yogurt (the longer you heat the milk at 190°F before cooling and then culturing, the denser curd you should expect)–then remove from heat source and let container(s) cool for two hours on counter before chilling. After at least six hours in refrigerator it will be ready for consumption.
I have been known to add a layer of pasteurized cream to the top of my small jars after filling them, so I have a layer of cultured cream to enjoy! You can culture cream this way as well and then churn it into butter (though milk kefir cultured cream is fabulous and simple too).
When my boys were little I was known to add Ovaltine Chocolate Malt powder to the milk once it was at 86-120°F range and make delicious chocolate malt acidophilus milk, drink or spoonable version. I remember for spoonable version we added 2 tbsp powder per cup milk, plus 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.
Enjoy!
where in North Carolina (around Winston-Salem) can i buy
sweet acidophiluos milk. I need it desperately ! Thank you
Have you tried Lowes Food?
Where in Burlington, Iowa can I buy sweet acidophilus milk??