Capsule Probiotics are Better than those in Yogurt (June 2008)

Welcome to the June newsletter. This month I would like to discuss why probiotics in capsule form are "better than yogurt." Some background information on producing yogurt is important in order to understand the pros and cons of yogurt as a good source for probiotics. Yogurt is made by adding two specific starter bacteria to milk. These bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, were selected due to their ability to ingest the milk sugar (AKA lactose) for energy and then release lactic acid as a "waste" product. It's the lactic acid that acts on the milk protein to give yogurt its characteristic texture and somewhat sour taste. The problem is that these starter bacteria are very sensitive to stomach acid and intestinal bile. As a result, they tend not to survive their journey to the intestines. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), probiotic organisms used in food must not only be effective and safe, but must also be capable of the following: survive passage through the gut; proliferate and colonize; maintain potency for the duration of their shelf-life. In response to the FAO's recommendations, the yogurt industry has started adding additional bacteria to yogurt as a means to deliver probiotics to the intestines. Unfortunately, the labels don't reveal the amount of added bacteria in a serving size. The National Yogurt Association (NYA) has made it's own rules for yogurt. In order for a special "Live & Active Culture" seal to appear on a container of yogurt, the product must contain at least 10 to 100 million live bacteria per gram of yogurt at the time it is made. However, these counts do not differentiate between true probiotic strains and starter cultures; hence they are still not reflective of true probiotic products. One further caution: avoid yogurt that says "heat treated after culturing" on the label. This means that after the bacteria was added in yogurt, it was pasteurized - a process which can denature lactase enzymes and destroy live cultures. Eat healthy and stay well. Dr. Hoberman Take Home Message If you want a high potency beneficial probiotic, consider probiotics in capsules that have bifidobacteria and lactobacillus strains like EndoMune.