Does Activia Have More Probiotics Than Greek Yogurt
A great deal of fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh contain probiotics. What are the advantages of Dannons Activia over regular old-fashioned yogurt that more effective in providing these results than regular good old-fashioned yogurt, is one that begs a good answer. Yes, Dannon .
The Magic Of Probiotics: 5 Ways Probiotics Will Help You Feel Your Best
And who doesnt want that?
Probiotics mean for life, and we couldnt sustain life without these little guys. Probiotics are your friendstheyre the good bacteria that we all have and need for our intestinal tracts and bowels to function smoothly.
The live-active cultures of friendly bacteria can help prevent and treat a long list of maladies. If you already feel good, they can help you feel fantastic. This is no food fad or trendy gimmick: probiotics are mighty powerful and effective. Here are five reasons why probiotics are an awesome, important addition to your life.
They Make Digestion Happy50% of the Western population experience gut-related discomfort. Theres nothing as unpleasant as gas and bloating. uggh! The goods news: probiotics to the rescue! Bifidus Regularis®, which has been proven to survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract in sufficient numbers to have big benefits, can dramatically ease the problem immediately. Hallelujah!
They Give you EnergyOver 500 bacterial species call your gut home. They are not just crashing, theyre hard at work facilitating digestion and providing nutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin K, folate, and essential fatty acids. Up to 10% of your daily energy can come from the byproducts of the friendly probiotics in your tummy. Thats pretty incredible.
How Activia Could Be Harmful
The Sugar Content
For products that are meant to be healthy, Activia yogurts and drinks have a shocking amount of sugar. While some of this sugar simply comes from the milk, the rest is added in to make the yogurts sweeter.
Sometimes this means youre getting 16 or even 18 grams of sugar in a single serving. Its easy to see why this is a problem, as sugar doesnt offer any health benefits at all. Too much of it can increase inflammation and raise your risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
The sugar content is also easy to miss, as Activia yogurts sound like theyre very healthy. You might even follow their recommendations of having two yogurts per day, then only notice the amount of sugar later on.
In some countries, Activia does sell plain yogurts with minimal added sugar or none at all. These will generally be better for you than the sweetened versions. However, theyre not always easy to find.
There Are Some Additives
While Activia isnt overloaded with additives and colors like some brands, a few concerning additives still creep in. For example, their regular yogurt contains carrageenan. This is a common thickener, but there is concern about how it affects your gut health .
Their low calorie versions sometimes use artificial sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium. This is a shame, as theres no end of controversy about artificial sweeteners and plenty of other ingredients that Activia could have used instead.
You Might Get Side Effects
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Side Effects Of Activia
Activia is a brand of yogurt that claims to help consumers with minor digestive discomfort. The company sells yogurt products that contain probiotics which can improve digestive function, according to the World Health Organization. However, there are possible side effects you should know.
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Probiotics are live bacteria that live in the human gut. They can alter or repopulate the gut bacteria to balance the gut flora. This is important for many health applications. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that a healthy balance of gut bacteria has been shown to boost the immune system and help with irritable bowel syndrome.
Balanced gut flora is also connected to maintaining a healthy weight, according to a July 2017 study in Nutrition Today, and even reducing the incidence of depression and anxiety and skin conditions like acne and rosacea.
You Could Be Consuming A Lot Of Sugar
Activia yogurt certainly has some health benefits, but as is the case with yogurt in general, not every aspect may be a healthy part of a balanced diet. Some Activia yogurt varieties have a good amount of added sugar, which isn’t a good thing if you’re trying to limit sugar consumption or watch your weight.
For example, Activia Probiotic Yogurt with Fruit has 7-8 grams of added sugars, depending on the flavor. And, Activia’s Probiotic Yogurt with Fiber adds 12 grams of sugar to your diet, nine of which are added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends including no more than 36 grams of sugar daily for men and a maximum of 25 grams daily for women.
Does that mean that diabetics and prediabetics should avoid Activia yogurts that include sugar? Research shows that probiotic yogurt can have positive effects on overall blood glucose control for prediabetics and diabetics. However, it’s important to be cautious with added sugar in any kind of yogurt . Watch serving sizes and consider the low-calorie, no-sugar-added variety of Activia to limit sugar content.
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How Do Probiotic Supplements Help Prevent Thrush
Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14® and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1® have been shown to have anti-fungal properties. Both strains can produce lactic acid, this helps to lower the pH in the vaginal tract . This acidity creates an unfavourable environment for C. albicans, thus limiting growth. The probiotic strains can also adhere to the vaginal lining and create a physical barrier limiting the space and nutrients available for C. albicans 10. Furthermore, both strains may reduce inflammation associated with C. albicans infection. These strains inhibited the growth of Candida albicans through the production of anti-fungal, lactic acid and competitive inhibition, by utilising space and nutrients Candida albicans requires to grow .
How Many Probiotics Do I Need
It is advised to take probiotics that contain at least 1 billion colony forming units . These assist in establishing and further growing the amount of healthy bacterias in your body. Any decent probiotic will have between 1-10 billion CFUs, but the particular dose will depend on the unique probiotic and how it was manufactured.
Natural probiotics are also an excellent source if you would prefer to forego supplements. However, this option will make it significantly more difficult to get enough CFUs, as supplements are specially designed to administer a large, concentrated dose of the best probiotics for your body.
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Controversies In The United States
Litigation in 2010
In its marketing for Activia, Danone claimed that Bifidobacterium animalis relieves irregularity.
In the 2010 Activia TV commercials, a voiceover explains : Activia eaten every day is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system in two weeks. Danone said it had scientific evidence to back up its assertions.
But according to the Federal Trade Commission, commercials and claims on Activia packages are deceptive and Danone exaggerates the yogurts health benefits. In its 2010 charges against Danone, the FTC stated that Eating one serving of Activia daily is not clinically proven to relieve temporary irregularity and help with slow intestinal transit time. In fact, consumers must eat three servings of Activia each day to obtain health benefits.
In December 2010, The Danone Company settled allegations of false advertising. In the settlement, Danone dropped its claims of the health benefits of its Activia yogurt. The company thus agreed to stop advertising that Activia yogurt improves motility, unless the ad conveys that three servings must be eaten per day to obtain these benefits. Danone therefore removed the words clinically and scientifically proven from Activia products.
Danone agreed to pay US$21 million to 39 states that had coordinated investigations with the FTC. In response to a similar lawsuit in Canada, Danone agreed to settle the suit by paying compensation and modifying its advertising.
Is It Better To Consume Probiotics Through Pills Or By Eating Foods With Probiotics
There are several reasons why probiotic foods are the preferred choice for getting probiotic bacteria over pills. Consuming probiotics through dairy foods allows the stomach acids to be buffered and increases the chance that the probiotics will survive and make it to the intestine. Probiotic supplements in the form of pills dont usually provide nutrients that the cultures found in probiotic foods like yogurt produce during fermentation. Finally, fermented dairy products, like yogurt, are also a source of nutrients that are critical for good health such as calcium, protein, and potassium.
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You’ll Add More Probiotics To Your Diet By Eating Activia Yogurt
Since its introduction to the market, Activia has touted its focus on probiotics. According to Activia, “While all yogurts have live and active cultures, not all have probiotic strains that provide specific health benefits such as supporting gut health and contributing to the maintenance of a balanced gut microbiota.” What does that mean, exactly?
Probiotics are necessary for digestive health. Research has shown that certain probiotics can prevent and treat diarrhea, digestive tract infections, irritable bowel syndrome, and Crohn’s disease. They also have other health benefits, like treating and preventing vaginal infections, childhood eczema, and urinary tract infections . Notably, modern research links gut health with brain health, so gut improvement through probiotics and a balanced diet could potentially lead to a healthier nervous system .
Although there’s no set criteria for how many probiotics you should ingest each day, an article in American Family Physician notes that adult dosages typically fall between 10 to 20 billion colony-forming units. According to Activia, each cup of its yogurt contains billions of probiotics.
What Causes A Yeast Infection
Antibiotics are one of the most common culprits in causing yeast infections, because they destroy vaginal bacteria and thereby disrupt the balance of power among the vaginal microorganisms. This balance is also affected by hormone levels, so women are more prone to yeast infections if theyre using hormonal contraceptives, during pregnancy, or just prior to menstruation. Yeast infections are also more common in women with compromised immune systems due to illnesses like diabetes, AIDS, or cancer. In fact, anything that weakens your immune systemstress, lack of sleep, consumption of alcohol, and even refined sugarcan lead to an overgrowth of yeast.
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Probiotic In Activia May Help With Gi Discomfort
What makes Activia different from other brands of yogurt is that it contains a trademarked probiotic Dannon calls Bifidus Regularis, scientifically known as Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 23. Probiotics are organisms, usually bacteria, that promote health. According to the Activia website, Bifudus Regularis helps regulate your digestive system 3. A study published in 2009 in the “British Journal of Nutrition” found that women without diagnosed GI disorders — such as lactose intolerance — but with minor GI distress who supplemented their diet with yogurt that contained Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 twice a day had improved GI comfort 5.
Should I Eat Yogurt If I Have Thrush
If you notice white lesions on your tongue, inner cheeks or roof of your mouth, you might have oral thrush, which is a yeast infection that develops inside your mouth. Your doctor may recommend antifungal medications such as lozenges or liquid. Another option is eating yogurt for yeast infections.
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Tip
Yes, you can eat yogurt when you have oral thrush. However, it’s a good idea to stick to unsweetened yogurt for oral thrush
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Is Activia Yogurt A Good Weight
The claims made by Activia are similar to those of other probiotic supplements. Probiotics are supposed to provide your body with more friendly gut bacteria, which are supposed to aid digestion, aid in weight loss, and improve immune function.
The main ingredient in Activia is bifidobacterium lactis, a probiotic bacteria found mainly in yogurt. Bifidobacteria are claimed to be good for constipation and irritable bowel syndrome and are often added to yogurts to increase their bacteria.
These bacteria are also added to Activia Kids for kids who may have to have a bottle changed more often.
Does Yogurt Contain Good Probiotics
Daily consumption of probiotic foods, such as certain yogurt and cultured dairy drinks containing probiotics, may be good for you in one of the following ways:
They may help support your digestive system by providing a regular source of friendly bacteria for the intestinal tract.1
They may help to maintain the balance of bacteria in the intestinal tract.2
Would recommend it to a friend
Rating snapshot:
OverviewActivia is a natural yogurt product that is produced and distributed by a company named Danone who is the parent company of Dannon and who is the same company that distribute the most popular brand of bottled water in Europe, Evian. The company has been trading for over 230 years and its headline product today is the Activia yogurt, which is aimed at the growing market of healthy nutrition. The most common form of the yogurt is the 4-ounce tubs that are sold in various pack sizes. A new addition to the Activia range is the 24-ounce family sized tub.
Danone is also committed to becoming the global market leader in their niche field of probiotics yogurt. The Activia range currently accommodates 9-flavors. The range is also on the increase with the introduction of new sizes and flavors.
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Can Dogs Eat Activia Yogurt
Yogurt is usually considered safe for canine consumption, as long as it is non-fat and provided in sufficient amounts. However, Activia yogurt is not a substitute for quality dog food. For healthy dogs, it can be an occasional treat or part of a balanced diet. If your dog has a compromised digestive system or any other medical condition, speak with your veterinarian first before giving Activia yogurt as a dietary supplement.
When Should I Make An Appointment To See My Provider
The first time you experience the symptoms of a yeast infection, you should see your doctor to rule out any other conditions. Even if youve had a yeast infection before, you should consult your physician if the condition isnt improving despite using medication, or if you experience four or more yeast infections per year. You might need something stronger than whats available over-the-counter. Finally, if your discharge has a bad odor, if you have a fever, or if you have other serious medical problems, you should definitely seek medical attention.
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What Are The Precautions Of Probiotic Yogurt For Yeast Infections
You are probably itching to get your hands on the best probiotic yogurt brands for your overall health including treating yeast infections. Well, before you do, you might want to do a bit more research on these products first. There are certain precautions that you need to take into consideration when taking probiotic yogurts. For one thing, not all probiotic yogurts can deliver the nutrients that you need to combat yeast infections. So, dont go grabbing the first one that you see in your local grocery.
It is also important that you consult with your doctor first before considering buying best probiotic yogurt brands especially when you are taking medications. There might be side effects when you combine these two which is why it is best that you are aware of any contraindications if any.
If you have any allergies related to certain ingredients in yogurt, it is best that you look for alternative solutions instead. Consuming yogurt with ingredients that you are allergic to can lead to more discomfort so be sure to read labels as much as possible.
Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should also reconsider taking probiotic yogurt for yeast infection. Ask your doctor if you can take them first before anything else.
Gas & The Side Effects Of Activia
Activia, which is manufactured by the Dannon Co., is a fermented yogurt that contains probiotics, according to the official Activia website. Activia contains a variety of bacterial cultures, including lactobacillus. These cultures are supposed to help promote digestive health and fight pathogens that could potentially make you sick. Some of the cultures do cause certain side effects, such as intestinal gas.
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Is Activia Yogurt Healthy
The Dairy Council of California describes yogurt as being a good source of calcium, protein and potassium. Yogurt has many vitamins and minerals, while typically being low in calories. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends low-fat dairy be included as part of a healthy balanced diet. The guidelines state that dairy intake is connected to increased bone health, particularly in children and adolescents.
Yogurt is also considered a healthful food in the DASH diet . Three servings of low fat or fat-free dairy per day are recommended to help reduce incidences of heart disease and stroke.
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Yogurt is a good source of probiotics. However, the Mayo Clinic explains that the several health claims have not been conclusively proven. Additionally, a February 2017 review of the literature in the journal Nutrients revealed that the number of viable studies is small and most are funded by the food industry and tested with much higher dosages than are typical for the actual products tested. The authors recommend further research in this area.
A Little About Activia
Activia is a line of yogurts made by Dannon 23. It comes in a variety of types, including Greek, light, with fiber and as a drink, as well as a variety of flavors. The nutritional facts for Activia yogurt vary depending on your preferred type 3.For example, a 4-ounce serving of Activia Light contains 60 calories, 10 grams of carbs, 4 grams of protein and 0 grams of fat, and it meets 15 percent of the daily value for calcium 3. The same serving of regular Activia contains 110 calories, 20 grams of carbs, 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat and meets 15 percent of the daily value for calcium 3. Adults need 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day.
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