Why activia is better than regular yogurt

But your question, is Dannon's Activia more effective in providing these results than regular good old-fashioned yogurt, is one that begs a good answer. Dannon of course says yes. Their Activia yogurt contains Bifidus regularis , a probiotic strain trademarked by Dannon that is not in other yogurts, and they claim that this particular strain speeds wastes through the digestive system and improves immunity in the intestines more effectively than other strains.

Dannon says that their Bifidus regularis , "survives passage through the digestive tract, arriving in the colon as a living culture," whereas other cultures can be destroyed by stomach acids and the natural process of digestion.

The consumer reports lab has confirmed Dannon's claim, reporting that about three million of the original three billion probiotic organisms in a four-ounce serving of Activia made it through the stomach to the colon.

There is one other difference you mentioned between this yogurt and the others: the price. Activia typically costs more per ounce than regular Dannon yogurt. There are also other brands on the market that offer yogurts containing probiotics that are similar to those in Activia. If you're willing to spoon out the extra cash for yogurts with these particular probiotics and have noticed a decrease in stomach grumblings as a result, it seems like it working for you and might be worth it.

However, now that you know that all yogurts contain healthy amounts of probiotics, it might be interesting to see if those regular yogurts feel just as good as the one with all the advertising. Eat up! If you are in an urgent situation, please visit our Emergency page to view a list of 24 hour support services and hotlines.

It simply means they might not offer the health perks you were hoping for. Probiotics are live organisms e. They're identified by their genus, species and strain. Different species and strains deliver different benefits and their effects may vary from person to person. Because each of us has a unique microbiota, we may respond differently to probiotics.

Once reaching the large intestine, most or all probiotic organisms inhibit the growth of disease-causing bacteria, regulate bowel transit time and help maintain a healthy microbiota. Microbiota refers to the population of tens of trillions of micro-organisms that reside in your large intestine. Other probiotic benefits, though, are found only among certain species. Still other effects, such as regulating immune function and influencing brain health, are strain-specific. Different probiotics have been shown to prevent or treat a host of health conditions including respiratory tract infections, eczema, traveller's diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

In Canada, all yogurts are made with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus — bacteria not recognized as probiotic by Health Canada. These yogurts are still a good source of protein, calcium, magnesium and zinc, but they don't contain beneficial probiotic cultures.

Some yogurt manufacturers, however, have added pre-approved probiotic strains to enable their products to deliver probiotic health benefits. To be called a probiotic food, yogurt must contain at least one billion live colony-forming units e. Danone's Activia yogurt, for example, contains the patented probiotic strain B. Regularis, which has been shown in clinical trials to lessen abdominal pain and bloating in people with irritable bowel syndrome.

The company's DanActive drinkable yogurt has L. Sounds good so far, but here's the thing. Nutrition Nutrition Basics Nutrition Facts. Jill Corleone is a registered dietitian and health coach who has been writing and lecturing on diet and health for more than 15 years.

Bach, M. Corleone holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition. Two small containers of homemade yogurt. Video of the Day. What's In Regular Yogurt? What's In Activia? Benefits of All Yogurt.