Americans experience digestive problems from time to time, with problems varying from ulcers to diarrhea to constipation and beyond. These problems can be caused by bacteria – not the bacteria that causes illness and disease, but probiotics, the friendly, good bacteria.
Yogurt can be a powerful food that aids in digestion. It's a great source of protein and calcium and since it contains live cultures, it can aid digestion and add back those friendly bacteria. Some manufacturers add other cultures during processing to enhance the health-promoting potential of yogurt. The most commonly added cultures include Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. reuteri and Bifidobacterium bifidum. These "probiotic" bacteria pass through the stomach to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They help maintain a healthy balance between the 200-plus kinds of bacteria that live there. Dannon has two different types of yogurt – Activia and Danactive – to aid in digestion or immunity.
Yogurt starter cultures and probiotics are being investigated for their possible role in just about everything from improved digestion and reduced risk of intestinal infection to improved immune function and reduced risk of certain cancers. As is typical, the results vary from claim to claim and study to study. However, the claim most substantiated is yogurt's beneficial effect on digestion in some individuals. People who are lactose intolerant have a hard time digesting milk products because they lack the enzyme that breaks down the main carbohydrate in milk. Yogurt is a unique dairy food because the starter cultures actually produce that enzyme during fermentation. Thus, the milk sugar in yogurt is more easily digested, even for lactose-intolerant individuals. Many people who commonly experience gas, bloating or discomfort from dairy foods can digest yogurt more easily, thanks to the starter cultures. This is especially true if the yogurt contains live cultures.
Studies have shown, for example, that children suffering from chronic diarrhea recover faster when fed yogurt with probiotic cultures. Adults suffering from traveler's diarrhea also seem to benefit. Scientists attribute this to probiotics' apparent ability to create an acidic environment that inhibits harmful bacteria.
To get the most health benefit from yogurt, look for a live and active cultures seal on the label. This indicates a live starter culture was used. For the added benefit of probiotics, look for any of the above bacteria on the ingredients list. L. acidophilus is by far the most commonly added probiotic, featured in such favorites as Dannon, Columbo, Yoplait and Breyers.
Be careful – some yogurt can have lots of sugar and fat. Nutritionally speaking, you can't beat plain nonfat yogurt with live active cultures and added probiotics. See the sample label below -- one cup of fat free yogurt has roughly 100-120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 8-15 grams of protein, 10-19 grams of carbohydrate and 488 milligrams of calcium.
There are a number of other ways to help your digestive system, besides yogurt. Among these are enriching your diet with fiber (at least 25 to 30 grams per day), drinking plenty of water) and getting adequate exercise.
Rebecca
