Yogurt Question

[quartermile]

I am about to try activia yogurt and I have never had yogurt before but I would like to explore the healthy benefits further and see how my BP will react...not that I am having any issues. I know this is completely vague, but should I expect it to make me sick, specifically diarrea, for a few days? I just started a 6 day work schedule and I dont want to screw it up. What experinces has anyone else had with yogurt and health?

thanks

[mom277]

Activia really works. You shouldn't have any bad side effects, and it tastes great!

[kkmay]

I think yogurt is very yummy.

[Andy]

Never really had an issues with it. It is a dairy product so getting corked up is possible.

[Bonita]

I've found activia to be very helpful. So much so, that if I haven't been eating it regulary I can see a negative difference in my bowel program.

[bob clark]

My only question about yogurt as a source of "beneficial GI bacteria" is how many of the bacteria actually get through the stomach acid barrier and to where they belong.... or are supposed to help at, that is the lower intestine.

There have been tests performed on acidophilus (lactobacillus acidophilus), bifidus (lactobacillus bifidus) and other beneficial bacteria and the vast majority were killed by stomach acid. That's why they've created "enteric coated" acidophilus, bifidus, etc. capsules, pills, beads and pearls so they can get through the stomach acid barrier and into the intestines, especially the lower intestine where they can do their thing. One of which is to take the place of (lessen their venue) the potentially harmful E.coli bacteria reducing our chances of cross-infecting our bladders.

I even bought a bottle of FOS (fructooligosaccharide) that are long chain sugars that the body can't digest but that good bacterial flora like acidophilus and bifidus ect. can "feed" on to enhance their action.

To get through the stomach acid barrier I bought a boxful of acidophilus pearls (3 month supply... kept them refrigerated) but didn't notice a single difference in my GI tract. But not much of anything has a beneficial or adverse effect on my GI tract anyway... antibiotics have a zero effect on my GI tract (no constipation/no diarrhea) and don't even know that I'm taking them. And I've taken many different types of them over my 27 years SCI post-injury.

But some people "swear" by acidophilus, bifidus, etc. and certain GI tract enzymes too. I've also tried Prozymes and didn't notice a difference with that "treatment" either.

As long as you know (not the placebo effect) that they're being helpful to you then by all means keep on buying and taking them.

Bob.

[betheny]

The activia works. It's not placebo effect. I only wish placebos would work on my effed up bowels...My husband has said the activia works on him too. And it's real handy to stick in your pocket and take along to the dog park!

[bob clark]

Originally Posted by betheny

The activia works. It's not placebo effect. I only wish placebos would work on my effed up bowels...My husband has said the activia works on him too. And it's real handy to stick in your pocket and take along to the dog park!

Hi Betheny,

That's good news that Dannon's Activia® is helping you and your husband. I haven't Googled for any test results but my main concern was how many of the good bacteria, in this case bifidobacteria (Bifidus Regularis™) were getting to the lower or large intestine, through the stomach acid barrier.

Today will probably be my shopping day so I'll pick up a 8 or 16 pack and give it a try. I'm an old dog but I love anything with strawberry in it! Plus 5 other flavors.

At the Dannon Activia® website they offer the below named clinical study but don't provide a link to the scientific results of "Survival during gastric transit."

Originally Posted by Dannon Activia®

SOURCES
Berrada N., et al. Bifidobacterium from fermented milks: Survival during gastric transit. J. Dairy Sci. 1991; 74: 409-413

Upon further reading found this testament by Dannon Activia®.

ACTIVIA® contains Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010, which has been clinically proven to survive the passage through the gastrointestinal tract.

Various human studies have been performed to demonstrate the high survival of Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 in the digestive system when consumed in a fermented dairy product.22, 23, 24, 25

• Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010, incorporated in ACTIVIA,® survived successfully (105–106 cfu/g) for at least 90 minutes in the stomach, while another commercial strain was much less resistant. The shelf life of the product does not affect the survival capability of Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010.

• Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010, incorporated in ACTIVIA® survived passage through the entire gastrointestinal tract and was recovered live and in large quantities in stools (>108 cfu/g). The amount of Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 recovered was similar to the quantity initially ingested.
Clinically proven to survive in the GI Tract.

I thought food stayed in the stomach for 4 hours before moving along however I could be wrong in this thought. And perhaps the laxative effect in ACTIVIA® moves it through faster.

Maybe the active live culture (Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010) in Dannon Activia® is more resilent than acidophilus (lactobacillus acidophilus) and bifidus (lactobacillus bifidus) so can make it through the stomach acid barrier more or less unscathed. That's Dannon's claim.

Plus it claims to act as a mild laxative (I don't know if I like that idea!) but it works in that capacity more effectively in women than in men. Whew, that's starting to sound better. Speeding up "total transit time" in the intestines by 21 to 39% in women. Watch out!

Effects of ACTIVIA® and/or Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 on transit time in healthy adults 18. In a parallel, double-blind study including 72 healthy adult volunteers (mean age 30 years), the ingestion of a fermented milk (3x125 g/day) containing the strain Bifidobacterium animalis DN -173 01, for 11 days, significantly reduces total colonic transit time by 21% and sigmoid transit time by 39% compared to an identical fermented milk (3x125 g/day) in which bacteria were killed by heat treatment. The effect was
more pronounced in women (p<0.03), particularly in those with a long baseline transit time compared to men (p<0.05). These beneficial
effects were not found with heat-treated product, suggesting that both probiotic survival and metabolic activity are necessary.

There's no arguing with personal success so keep on eating it. You can snack on it at the dog park and when finished use the empty container for... well, you know! And another use for our supply of latex gloves.

I have a box of latex gloves here that says "One Size Fits Most". When I first read that I thought it hilarious. Maybe it's just me.

Bob.

[SCI-Nurse]

Food starts moving from the stomach into the small intestines within 15-30 minutes after the eating, so it would be abnormal for it to sit in the stomach for 4 hours unless you have gastroparesis (which does occur in a few people with SCI). Some people take Reglan to increase the rate of stomach emptying after SCI, but this does not help with increasing poor motility in the rest of the gut.

Normal transit time in ABs is 8-24 hours. It is very common for this rate to be increased to 72 hours or more in people with SCI, so if a product like Activa (which as far as I know has NOT been researched in people with neurogenic bowel) would halve that, there would be a decreased need for stimulants and stool softeners, and less problems with constipation. It certainly is worth trying for those whose major problem is constipation (hard dry stools).

(KLD)

[PN]

When I went to Albertson's last week I bought ten Dannon yogurts, but they did not contain the Activa. Next week when I go shopping again I will look to see if they have this particular item, and if not, I will request it or try Vons. I did a Froogle search but did not come up with any hits.