Will This Sugary Yoghurt Really Improve My Digestion?

Whilst visiting my Nan this weekend I indulged in an Activia yoghurt. After scoffing my face I took a moment to have a look at the label. Whilst being delicious and creamy, it would appear from the ingredients label the yoghurt contains quite a high percentage of sugar.

In my infinite wisdom, I question whether or not the yoghurt does as claimed improve a person’s digestion, and as the heavily endorsed marketing claim claims, give an all-important boost to ones immune system.

In a bid to avoid litigation I will leave it up to you to make up your own mind. However, I will say this. As far as I am aware the presence of sugar raises insulin levels within the blood, which inhibits growth hormone, which in-turn depresses the immune system.

It’s also worth noting that last year lawyers filed a suit against the makers Dannon saying the claims of health benefits dupe consumers. As you would expect Dannon rejected the complaint claiming it had clinical studies to support the claims.

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, in sufficient amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. A growing body of research links probiotics to relief of digestive tract complaints such as irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, and diarrhea that results from certain illnesses. The idea behind probiotics is to increase the amount of beneficial bacteria in people’s intestinal tracts as a way to aid digestion, boost the body’s natural defenses and fight off harmful bacteria that can cause health problems.

However, although the scientific evidence shows that probiotics really can help, questions remain about how well that research translates into the real world, where some marketers may add untested amounts of the bacteria to various foods. While there are thousands of different probiotics, only a handful have been tested in clinical trials and been shown to deliver specific health benefits when eaten regularly.

Furthermore, It is also worth noting that according to the American Society for Microbiology “at present, the quality of probiotics available to consumers in food products around the world is unreliable.”

Just as a point of interest, the only clinical studies that Dannon could produce that support their claims were privately funded… by Dannon! Any other evidence in this field in non-conclusive.

I will let you make up your own mind…