When watching TV, you'll notice that many yogurts emphasize in their commercials that they are fermented with probiotics. Some say that probiotic yogurt is more beneficial to the human body than regular yogurt, while others suspect this is just a marketing gimmick. So, what is the truth?
What is probiotic yogurt?
Yogurt is divided into two main categories. One is regular yogurt, which contains only two types of statutory lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus). These two bacteria are not acid-resistant and can be easily killed by stomach acid, so they cannot colonize the intestine. The other is probiotic yogurt (also known as live-culture yogurt), which, in addition to the aforementioned bacterial strains, also contains other lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium. Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium have good acid resistance.
Is probiotic yogurt more beneficial?
Theoretically, probiotic yogurt contains live probiotics that are beneficial for regulating the balance of the human body's intestinal microflora. However, for the probiotics to have sufficient health benefits, their quantity must reach 10^6 or even 10^8 CFU (Colony-Forming Units) per gram.
Currently, the state has no relevant standard regulations for the probiotic viable count in yogurt products or their labeling. Therefore, we cannot know the probiotic content in the probiotic yogurt we purchase. Moreover, as storage conditions change, the number of surviving probiotics is also unclear. Therefore, whether it can achieve the advertised effects is unknown.