Tag Archives: bacteria

Yogurt with probiotics

There is no question that yogurt is good for you. However, you should know what is in this dairy product that you consume. This nutritious treat that dates back to centuries ago is rich in potassium and calcium, low in sugar and fat and contains natural microorganisms that are beneficial to the digestive system. Known as probiotics, these live active cultures are simply good bacteria.

Dannon, the Paris-based food company behind Activia®, one of the familiar names in yogurt, notes in its official website that probiotics, as defined by the World Health Organization is “a living microorganism that, when administered in adequate amounts, confers a health benefit on its host”.

Sounds good, right? But before anything else though, let me ask you these two questions: what is considered an “adequate amount” of probiotics? And, what are the benefits of yogurt with probiotics?

Activia® is a yummy low-fat yogurt that contains friendly bacteria. The key ingredient is DN-173010 which has been claimed with a trademark status by Dannon, being indicated in its US labels as Bifidus regularis. As part of a healthy lifestyle, the same site recommends consumption of 4 oz Activia® daily for a couple of weeks, the adequate amount and period in order to start experiencing its positive effects on the digestive system. These benefits include regular bowel movement and the relief of constipation and diarrhea, among others. Apart from this, additional benefits are ridding the body of toxins and maintaining good health.

So what is this Bifidus regularis exactly? This name is coined by Dannon and it varies in the different countries where the product is available. More important to note, however, is that this bacterial strain is a sub-species of Bifidobacterium animalis which is found in the large intestines of mammals, including humans. It is considered an effective probiotic since it is able to withstand the gastric juices in the digestive tract from the stomach down to the small intestines, until it reaches the large intestines where it works its magic.

On an interestingly related note, in his March 2008 article on individual probiotic bacteria, Matthew Hogg discussed a study conducted at Finland’s National Public Health Institute. In this research it indicated that probiotic bacteria, when used singly are more effective in boosting the immune system as opposed to when several strains are used in combination.

So the next time you grab a yogurt, enjoy but do read the label. Make sure that it is one which contains high-quality probiotic to make it a tasty yet nutritious respite.

Lactococcus is here to stay!

There was a great story recently on National Public Radio about the Wisconsin state legislature passing a bill to name the first state microbe: Lactococcus lactis.

States commonly have a state flower, animal, bird, song, even a state dance, but this is thought to be the first time that a state has named an official microbe.

Lactococcus are cocci bacterium, which means that the individual bacterial cells have a circular shape. Cocci bacteria species can be solitary or they can cluster together. If they group, they can form chains like little pearl necklaces or bunches like grapes. Lactococcus groups in pairs and short chains.

This bacterium has been important in human culture because it thrives on milk sugars (lactose), using the sugar as energy and producing a waste product of lactic acid. Normally this might be a bad thing, but some prehistoric culinary genius discovered that not all was lost if her milk was spoiled by this bug.

By producing lactic acid as part of its digestive activities, the pH of the milk was lowered (becoming more acidic) which causes the milk proteins to curdle, or clump together, thus separating the curd from the whey (the part of the milk that stays liquid). A similar result can be obtained by adding other acids to the milk, such as stomach acid, and it may be that the first curdling was done when milk was stored in a bag made of an animal stomach.

However it happens, separating the solids out of the milk is almost always the first step in the production of cheese. From this step different ingredients are added to make the wide variety of cheeses that we enjoy today.

So it makes since that the Wisconsin legislature recognized the importance of this little “bug” to their state’s economy. In fact, as pointed out by Elio Schaechter of the microbe blog Small Things Considered, we could live without the state animals, but we really could not live our lives without the microbes.

NPR invites people to auggest other appropriate state microbes. You can put your vote in at NPR (include microbe in the subject line of your email). Leave your vote here too. Which microbe is most important to your region?