Most of us have heard of probiotics and many of us have probably tried them. But did you know that there are several types of food products that are considered “probiotic”? These include: Yogurt, Kefir, and, of course, Yakult.
You might have also heard of a couple types of probiotic bacteria, L. acidophilus and L. casei. Those names are missing an important component. The strain.
Probiotics can provide lots of benefits:
they can support digestive heath
improve nutrient absorption
support a healthy immune system
But every probiotic strain is different and not all probiotic products specify their strain. If you don’t know your strains, it’s hard to evaluate which probiotic product will have the benefits you’re looking for since probiotic benefits are strain specific. In fact, just because a product claims to be “probiotic” or “live and active” doesn’t necessarily mean that it even has benefits.
Some bacteria may not be strong enough to survive the harsh acids of the stomach, and so there may not be a significant amount of these “live and active” probiotic bacteria remaining once they reach your digestive system. Knowing the strain that a probiotic product contains can help you evaluate its benefits, since different strains have different characteristics. That’s why knowing your strains is so important.
When you look at the labels of different “probiotic” and “live and active” products, you’ll see words like: “Lactobacillus,” “S. boulardii,” “L. casei,” “Acidophilus,” “S. thermophiles,” “L. bulgaricus,” and “L. reuteri.” All of the words above are all types of probiotic cultures – but these aren’t strains.
The third part of a probiotic bacteria’s name–the strain–is important. Just knowing the first two parts of a probiotic bacteria’s name isn’t enough information. The third part–the strain–is important because probiotic benefits are strain-specific.
Not all products with “probiotic” or “live and active” claims identify their specific strains. Additionally, many “probiotic” products do not contain a strain with as much research as Yakult’s. The exclusive L. casei Shirota probiotic strain is what makes Yakult products so unique.
Yakult brand probiotic drinks contain an exclusive probiotic strain called Lactobacillus casei Shirota – L. casei Shirota is backed by over 75 years of research and is powerful enough to reach your digestive system alive. The probiotic culture in Yakult and Yakult Light is from the Lactobacillus casei family. The Shirota strain is named after Dr. Shirota, the microbiologist who cultured this special strain and was the first person to successfully culture a strain of bacteria that could make it through the digestive tract alive (that’s important) in the 1930s. How cool is that?
When you see Lactobacillus casei Shirota you know that you’re getting a strain of probiotic bacteria that’s backed by research that says this strain is strong enough to reach your digestive system alive. Each bottle of Yakult and Yakult Light probiotic drinks contains Yakult’s exclusive Lactobacillus casei Shirota probiotic strain.
Research shows that drinking 1-2 bottles of Yakult brand probiotic drinks per day may help:
• Balance your digestive system with beneficial bacteria
• Improve regularity
• Support overall health
Yakult is easy to drink and tastes good as well. It is in a small container, has no aftertaste and is actually perfect for a snack.
This is a paid post sponsored by Yakult USA and Technorati. I received a free 10-day supply of Yakult Probiotic Drinks to complete my review. Although I have been compensated to help spread the word about strain-based probiotics, all opinions expressed here are genuine and my own.
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Interesting! I’m such a science nerd so I love learning about things such as this.
I just visited their website, took a quiz, and printed out a coupon. I’m going to give these a try.
Thanks for the helpful tips, now that I’m 40 the doctor is suggesting so many new things and this is one that I’ve never knew anything about.
I’ve tried these, they are SO good!!
I have never heard of these yogurts before! They look delicious and sound like they are very good for you!
I love Probiotics, but of the ones I have used or heard of are in pill form. I have never heard of these before and can’t wait to check them out!
I have never heard of these before but loving the bottle it comes in I would definitely want to know what it is. They have so many things on the market to help improve health it becomes overwhelming but it’s good to know how products are firsthand from a real person
I’ve only ever heard of probiotics being in yogurt. I never knew you could get them in individual drinks now. How cool is that?!
I definitely need to give these a try!
I’ve always wondered about Yakult especially the taste and if it’s something my family would enjoy. I am personally a fan of probiotics because they definitely help me out! I may have to finally try Yakult!
So interesting! I like that it’s a drink. I need to try this!
I’ve been hearing a lot about probiotics.
I haven’t seen this anywhere. To me it sort of looks like a vanilla milk, is it about that consistency?
After some problems a couple weeks ago, I’m a believer in probiotics. It saved the day (and my issue had nothing to do with digestive issues).
So I knew about probiotics, but I had no idea about the strains and how important that information is. I haven’t seen Yakult in the store, but I will be on the lookout for it on my next trip.
I need to work more probiotics into my diet. I’ll have to look for these when I shop.
So many brands of yogurt say they contain probiotics and state how good probiotics are for us. It was interesting to read this post and learn about probiotics.
I have never heard of these! I’ll be on the lookout though because my son LOVES yogurt! We are big believers in probiotics over here! They work!
Whew! Who knew there were so many different types of probiotics….not me! My only experience with probiotics is that I used a powder when my son was having digestive issues. Clearly I have a lot to learn!
Talk about illuminating! I had absolutely no idea about the differences in strains.
I definitely need something to keep my immune system in check, this looks like it could be a step in the right direction!
This looks great! I’d love to try them!
I’ve seen the Yakult stuff in the store and have always been curious. What exactly does it taste like? Does it have any flavor?
I literally think everyone needs these. I tried one today for the first time bcuz all my friends drink them and they say its wonderful for after working out.
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