Best Probiotics Yogurt for Children and Adults

Eating probiotic-enriched yogurt regularly can have positive health effects.

Yogurt is a fermented milk product which provides additional bacteria to the gastrointestinal system.

This has been shown to have beneficial effects on digestion, the immune system and even cognitive function.

But with so many companies competing in this market, which is the best probiotic yogurt brand sold today and what are the key differences between major contenders?

The best probiotics yogurt products are widely available and can even be found at convenience stores and at fast food restaurants.

Health food shops and grocery stores have entire sections devoted to probiotic blends of yogurt. The first step in choosing a probiotic yogurt is deciding which type of yogurt product is preferred.

Greek yogurt? Yogurt beverage? Fruit yogurt? Plain, unflavored yogurt? Kefir? Soy yogurt?

Settling on a particular type helps to narrow down the choices a bit, but even after making this decision, the selection can still seem somewhat endless because each brand may contain a different species and strain of bacteria.

Probiotics

Digestive Supplement

Gut Health

Digestion

Immune Function

How It Works:

• Supports a healthy immune system & microflora
• Promotes digestion & nutrient absoprtion
• Combats pathogenic bacteria; Improves metabolism

Dosage:

Between 1 - 10 Billion CFUs per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

Top Probiotics Products* ❯

View User Ratings* ❯

The Best Probiotic Yogurt

What is the best probiotics yogurt product on the market today? The answer is more complex than it sounds because every manufacturer of probiotic yogurt selects which species of bacteria will be added to their product, and how much of it goes into each serving.

Most yogurt products have blends featuring multiple bacterial species designed to work together to confer a specific health effect to the consumer. But, unless one comes armed with a wealth of knowledge about bacteriology and the digestive tract, these differences may not have a lot of meaning.

Yogurt is a cultured product, meaning it begins with a “starter” bacterium (or multiple bacteria) which seeds an entire batch of dairy product, usually milk. Yogurt starter bacteria are lactic acid-forming bacteria (LABs), meaning they naturally ferment lactose, which is plentiful in dairy products.

Through unique fermentation processes, lactose in converted into lactic acid and other chemical compounds. This process ferments the milk, turning it into yogurt, kefir and other yogurt-related products.

What is Probiotics Yogurt Made Of?

It appears probiotic yogurts nearly all begin with two common starters: Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.

Each manufacturer then adds additional bacteria to the mix to alter taste, smell and texture. The addition of other bacteria also can contribute to the beneficial effects of the product.

This means it is necessary to look first for the most beneficial bacterial microorganisms, and then to look for a probiotic yogurt product which contains enough of the microbes to make an impact on the gut microflora of the human host.

The Best Beneficial Yogurt Bacteria

There is a lot of research available on different species and strains of probiotic bacteria. Taken together, it is clear the microflora of the human gut affects digestive processes, as well as having a direct effect on immune function.

When the gut flora is in dysbiosis, problems with bowel movement and consistency, lactose intolerance, and even inflammatory conditions affecting the intestines can occur.

Yogurts can have a long list of bacterial agents in them, but what you are looking for are the probiotic microbes supported by scientific studies.

Of the many brands available, those using scientifically studied strains are Yakult, Activia, and La Yogurt making these the three main contenders for Best Probiotics Yogurt.

La Yogurt: This yogurt product contains the BB-12 strain of Bifidobacterium animalis lactis which appears to lower inflammation. Though studies using these bacteria in isolation are not plentiful, there are studies in which the BB-12 strain was primary.

Activia: Dannon Bifido Regularis was shown to improve digestion time, decrease constipation and to have an effect on inflammatory processes affecting the intestinal walls. In particular, women diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) reported decreases in bloating, abdominal distention and discomfort.

Yakult: Yakult products contain Lactobacillus casei which has a potent effect on chronic constipation, including Parkinson’s related constipation.

In addition, it appears to help resistance to common colds (like rotavirus) and to alter immune function in such a way that allergic responses are sometimes mitigated.

Right now, L. casei is being studied for its role in cancer prevention, and possibly, treatment. This probiotic bacterium has been shown to reduce carcinogenic metabolites in the colon and to reduce recurrence of bladder cancers in patients who had surgery.

Review

Selecting the right Probiotics Yogurt will depend on a person’s individual needs and symptoms. It should be noted that, typically, yogurt products must be eaten 2 – 3 times each day in order to provide the GI tract with adequate numbers of the beneficial bacteria necessary for the health benefits they can confer.

Many people who choose to use probiotics for specific symptoms, like inflammatory disorders or diarrhea, usually take a quality supplement in capsule or pill form, while adding probiotic yogurt as often as possible to their dietary regimen.

To select the best probiotics yogurt, it is important to understand the types of bacteria which may be beneficial for your symptoms or needs.

Which is the top brand for you? A careful reading of the ingredient labels should give you all the information you need to make a good choice.

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