What are probiotics?
Probiotic products contain billions of good bacteria. Their job is to travel through the digestive system to top up the good bacteria in the intestines. The most common probiotic bacteria are bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. The bacterium found in Yakult is a unique strain of the L. casei species, Lactobacillus casei Shirota. Quite a mouthful.
Lactobacilli belong to the lactic acid bacteria group, so named because they convert lactose (a sugar found in milk) and other sugars into lactic acid. In the gut, this helps to create an acidic environment making it less comfortable for potentially harmful bacteria.
Unless specifically labelled as such, yoghurts are not by their nature probiotic. Although all yoghurts are made containing specific live bacteria, there is no guarantee that these particular bacteria will reach the intestines alive or give any of the health benefits associated with probiotics.
