The idea that yogurt is good for intestinal health is deeply ingrained, as the probiotics in yogurt can regulate gut flora and promote digestion and absorption. However, drinking yogurt isn't a simple matter. Probiotics have high survival requirements; they cannot be exposed to heat, can be killed by stomach acid, and can be killed by antibiotics...
With the wide variety of yogurts available, consumers find it harder to choose. On yogurt packaging, you might see terms like "B-Yichang Bacteria" or "Active Probiotics," and in advertisements, you often hear recommendations that "probiotics" are beneficial to health. What is the actual effect of consuming these "bacteria"? Among the many types of "bacteria," which one is better? Furthermore, some travelers to Japan are misled by their tour guides and ask upon their return whether Japanese yogurt has tens of thousands more probiotics than Chinese yogurt and is therefore more nutritious. Is this just a new marketing tactic?
Fancy-named probiotics on the market sometimes are just playing a "self-naming" game. Moreover, a large number of probiotics in yogurt does not mean more will be absorbed by the gut; it's about how you drink the yogurt to get the benefit.
Ingredient Analysis
Intestinal bacteria and active probiotics are one and the same.
The advertisements are not false; probiotics are indeed good things: they can regulate gut flora, promote digestion and absorption, and enhance mineral absorption. However, even regular yogurt contains two types of probiotics. Some special yogurts have active bacterial strains added, making the quantity and variety of probiotics greater. Xu Xinzhu explains that there are many types of probiotics, with 8-10 main types used in the food industry. Of these, the four primarily added to yogurt are:
A Lactobacillus bulgaricus
B Streptococcus thermophilus
C Lactobacillus acidophilus
D Bifidobacterium
The principle is to add bacteria to milk to ferment it into yogurt. All yogurt contains probiotics A and B, while yogurt with added C and D is considered active probiotic yogurt.
China's yogurt market has issues with non-standardized naming. Some manufacturers create catchy names for their products to promote sales. Some merchants even claim that the universally present A and B bacteria are specially added. Here's a way to judge—look at the product ingredients. If the ingredient list only contains A and B, it's just regular yogurt. Furthermore, yogurt that has added active bacterial strains like C or D does indeed have a richer variety of bacteria. The bifidobacterium yogurt and "active probiotic" yogurt you see on the market fall into this category. The catch is that some merchants use catchy names to hype up effects and concepts. Terms like "intestinal bacteria" are just meant to highlight benefits and use a more understandable name, but the ingredients are actually similar.
The Quantity Debate
More is better, but it's hard to judge.
From the analysis above, it's clear that more probiotics are indeed better. Xu Xinzhu explains that if there aren't enough probiotics in the yogurt, it won't have the desired effect. Different countries around the world have certain standards for the bacterial count in yogurt.
China stipulates that each milliliter of yogurt must contain at least 1×10^6 colony-forming units (CFU), meaning at least 10^6 probiotics per milliliter. In Europe, America, Japan, and other countries, the minimum requirement is 1×10^7 CFU. This is the lower limit for probiotic content; as long as manufacturers don't fall below this number, it's acceptable. As for the specific quantity, there is no upper limit—the more, the better.
Therefore, it's possible that Japanese yogurt has a higher probiotic count, but it depends on the specific product.
Xu Xinzhu says that China's inspection system for yogurt probiotics is not yet clear. Although there are standards, there is a lack of supervision, making it difficult to guarantee that yogurt actually contains the stated amount of probiotics.
Best Results
Fresh, refrigerated, and don't drink on an empty stomach.
While a large quantity is important, it doesn't mean these probiotics can be absorbed. Any unscientific factor in the production, transportation, storage, or shelf life can significantly reduce the activity of the probiotics in yogurt. Therefore, your storage method and how you drink the yogurt ultimately affect the amount of probiotics you consume.
Take Lactobacillus acidophilus as an example. Just two weeks after production, its activity rapidly drops to 25% of the original, and after four weeks, it's only 10% of the original. So, it's best to drink fresh yogurt; the closer it is to the production date, the higher the active ingredient content.
High temperatures can also kill probiotics, so yogurt must be stored in the refrigerator. Don't leave it in a hot outdoor environment, and never heat it. Otherwise, the probiotics will be killed before you even eat them, making the quantity irrelevant.
Drinking yogurt on an empty stomach is also a big taboo. When the stomach is empty, stomach acid levels are high, and bacteria like bifidobacteria can be killed by it. Xu Xinzhu suggests drinking yogurt one to two hours after a meal, when stomach acid levels are lower, ensuring the absorption of effective bacteria. Additionally, people with stomach ulcers are not suitable for drinking yogurt.
Antibiotics work by killing bacteria, and the active bacteria in yogurt will be killed by them. So, if you are taking antibiotics because you are sick, be sure to stagger your yogurt consumption time.