I'd Like to Learn Some Culture
July 12, 2010 12:04 PM Subscribe
Healthy yogurt cultures. There must be a wide range of probiotic value across the field offerings. Is there any chart out there where they are at least mildly scientifically ranked by product?
Long story short: how do I know what yogurt has the largest quantity of the most beneficial bacteria?
Possibly useless details:
This would assume calories and sugar aside - I already avoid ones with sugar and always buy low-or-no fat varieties.
With the recent popularity of hyped Probiotic yogurt (not that I necessarily believe the marketing), has yogurt been popular in America long enough that different brands can be ranked by actual bacterial culture health benefits?
My wariness about yogurts hyped as probiotic is that any yogurt with "active yogurt cultures, including L Acidophilus" is technically probiotic. But how can I steer my shopping toward the best?
I'm thinking scientifically ranked for "quantity" and "quality" of various bacteria cultures. A quick google search showed, to my surprise, that there are many different types of yogurt cultures, some owned wholly by various companies, but not much info as to what ends up where or why.
FWIW right now I'm rocking Chobani for smoothies and sour-cream replacement, and Dannon Light & Fit 0 fat 80 calories for a snack.
Long story short: how do I know what yogurt has the largest quantity of the most beneficial bacteria?
Possibly useless details:
This would assume calories and sugar aside - I already avoid ones with sugar and always buy low-or-no fat varieties.
With the recent popularity of hyped Probiotic yogurt (not that I necessarily believe the marketing), has yogurt been popular in America long enough that different brands can be ranked by actual bacterial culture health benefits?
My wariness about yogurts hyped as probiotic is that any yogurt with "active yogurt cultures, including L Acidophilus" is technically probiotic. But how can I steer my shopping toward the best?
I'm thinking scientifically ranked for "quantity" and "quality" of various bacteria cultures. A quick google search showed, to my surprise, that there are many different types of yogurt cultures, some owned wholly by various companies, but not much info as to what ends up where or why.
FWIW right now I'm rocking Chobani for smoothies and sour-cream replacement, and Dannon Light & Fit 0 fat 80 calories for a snack.
Consumer Lab tests and rates various supplements as to whether they contain the substances claimed on their labels, but you have to pay for a subscription in order to read the reports, which is reasonable considering it's how they pay for their research. I did so the year my neurologist advised me to take certain nutrients as a treatment for an illness, because some brands of supplements don't even contain the substance on the label. The subscription seemed somewhat useful, but I didn't continue my subscription beyond that one year.
(Whether or not any supplements do what they're claimed to do is an entirely different matter, and beyond the scope of the question. In my case, I felt that my doctor's recommendation was trustworthy, because he didn't sell any supplements himself, didn't recommend any particular brand, and based his recommendations on peer-reviewed research. Some of them seemed to help, some didn't, but I was never certain that it wasn't all the placebo effect.)
posted by Ery at 12:58 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
(Whether or not any supplements do what they're claimed to do is an entirely different matter, and beyond the scope of the question. In my case, I felt that my doctor's recommendation was trustworthy, because he didn't sell any supplements himself, didn't recommend any particular brand, and based his recommendations on peer-reviewed research. Some of them seemed to help, some didn't, but I was never certain that it wasn't all the placebo effect.)
posted by Ery at 12:58 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Ignoring the 'probiotic' nonsense ...
- The carton should list the bacteria used. Usually I see three or four strains on the label, though some of the Greek and Bulgarian brands at our health food store list five.
- If you see any sort of gelatin on the label then it's probably not pure yogurt; the gelatin is used to fake the texture of real yogurt.
- It is super easy to make yogurt & sour cream at home. Try this:
1. Heat 1-2 pints milk to 'slightly hot.' You want to break down some of the proteins, but don't want it too scald or change flavor. I always use whole milk, but lighter milks should work. Let it cool until it's warm to the touch.
2. Optional: Add some cream or powdered milk. The first will give a richer yogurt, the second a thicker yogurt with less calories if you're using lower fat milk.
3. Add 1 TB live yogurt.
4. Let sit overnight in a warm environment. A stove with the pilot light on is perfect.
5. The next morning whisk it, transfer it to the refrigerator. It will still thicken a bit more.
***
One of the things I really like about homemade yogurt is that I can cook with it. It holds up really well in Greek and Turkish dishes with yogurt-based sauces. Store-bought yogurt doesn't work at all. It also makes a good marinade for south Asian tandoori dishes.
***
You can also add 1 T live yogurt to thick cream, and the next morning you'll have crème fraiche. Leave it a few more hours and you'll have thicker American-style sour cream.
***
Theoretically you can use the end of one batch to make the next batch, but I find that the batches start to get sour after a few rounds. I'm not sure why.
posted by kanewai at 1:00 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
- The carton should list the bacteria used. Usually I see three or four strains on the label, though some of the Greek and Bulgarian brands at our health food store list five.
- If you see any sort of gelatin on the label then it's probably not pure yogurt; the gelatin is used to fake the texture of real yogurt.
- It is super easy to make yogurt & sour cream at home. Try this:
1. Heat 1-2 pints milk to 'slightly hot.' You want to break down some of the proteins, but don't want it too scald or change flavor. I always use whole milk, but lighter milks should work. Let it cool until it's warm to the touch.
2. Optional: Add some cream or powdered milk. The first will give a richer yogurt, the second a thicker yogurt with less calories if you're using lower fat milk.
3. Add 1 TB live yogurt.
4. Let sit overnight in a warm environment. A stove with the pilot light on is perfect.
5. The next morning whisk it, transfer it to the refrigerator. It will still thicken a bit more.
***
One of the things I really like about homemade yogurt is that I can cook with it. It holds up really well in Greek and Turkish dishes with yogurt-based sauces. Store-bought yogurt doesn't work at all. It also makes a good marinade for south Asian tandoori dishes.
***
You can also add 1 T live yogurt to thick cream, and the next morning you'll have crème fraiche. Leave it a few more hours and you'll have thicker American-style sour cream.
***
Theoretically you can use the end of one batch to make the next batch, but I find that the batches start to get sour after a few rounds. I'm not sure why.
posted by kanewai at 1:00 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Yay! A question where I can give this answer and be helpful and on-topic!
Probiotic foods are bunk. So there won't be any scientific rankings of quality and quantity of products like yogurt containing "probiotics" because the entire concept is pseudoscience. If you like the taste of yogurt by all means eat it; I do. But don't get suckered into believing the marketing.
posted by Justinian at 1:22 PM on July 12, 2010
Probiotic foods are bunk. So there won't be any scientific rankings of quality and quantity of products like yogurt containing "probiotics" because the entire concept is pseudoscience. If you like the taste of yogurt by all means eat it; I do. But don't get suckered into believing the marketing.
posted by Justinian at 1:22 PM on July 12, 2010
Best answer: Probiotic foods are bunk.
Well, I can't speak to probiotic foods in particular, but there's definitely good evidence that certain strains of bacteria, administered as supplements, can be helpful in treating various conditions. (Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 has been shown to help with irritable bowel syndrome, and other probiotics have been shown to reduce the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in pre-term babies, and traveler's diarrhea, among other things.) But if you're otherwise healthy and just looking to get some tasty yogurt and hoping that the bugs will somehow make life super-duper, yeah, there's probably not much to it.
posted by greatgefilte at 1:32 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Well, I can't speak to probiotic foods in particular, but there's definitely good evidence that certain strains of bacteria, administered as supplements, can be helpful in treating various conditions. (Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 has been shown to help with irritable bowel syndrome, and other probiotics have been shown to reduce the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in pre-term babies, and traveler's diarrhea, among other things.) But if you're otherwise healthy and just looking to get some tasty yogurt and hoping that the bugs will somehow make life super-duper, yeah, there's probably not much to it.
posted by greatgefilte at 1:32 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
What about those times when one must take strong antibiotics? Is "restoring healthy flora" with yogurt simply an old wives' tale?
posted by memewit at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by memewit at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Probiotic bacteria can have transient bioactive effects in your gut which give some benefit to certain people in some situations but the key word is transient. They flush out within a day. And yeah, there are about 10 to the 14 microbial cells in your gut but only about 10 to the 13 human cells in your whole body, you're fighting a losing battle.
There definitely isn't one special bacteria that's better than the rest and ranking them is not possible (deciding if the short term benefits to some people in some situations even exist is barely possible, if that). The few places there is evidence of things helping are in specific disease states too, so if you're healthy there's nothing extra to be done. So either eat a variety of them to get the widest benefits (I use that term loosely) or find one you like and eat that. Or don't eat them at all. It's probably all about the same.
Also: it's not pseudoscience, there is evidence and an idea of a mechanism there. A lot of actually good research is being done on this whole area. But it's way early and so far the majority of research showing benefits are in the lab, not in actual people (which is a huge issue), and the understanding of what actually goes on in the human is still miles behind ever being able to genuinely alter the microbiota balance to give any kind of real lasting effect. We just don't know what's happening in there. The bacteria in your gut do have a huge influence on your overall health and well being, there's evidence now they program the development of your entire immune system. But thinking we can just throw in a handful of 'good' bugs and actually do anything about it is still in the realm of wishful thinking. Just because something doesn't work yet or isn't understood yet doesn't make it pseudoscience, but also just because something is being actively researched doesn't mean you should be selling products based on it.
posted by shelleycat at 2:44 PM on July 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
There definitely isn't one special bacteria that's better than the rest and ranking them is not possible (deciding if the short term benefits to some people in some situations even exist is barely possible, if that). The few places there is evidence of things helping are in specific disease states too, so if you're healthy there's nothing extra to be done. So either eat a variety of them to get the widest benefits (I use that term loosely) or find one you like and eat that. Or don't eat them at all. It's probably all about the same.
Also: it's not pseudoscience, there is evidence and an idea of a mechanism there. A lot of actually good research is being done on this whole area. But it's way early and so far the majority of research showing benefits are in the lab, not in actual people (which is a huge issue), and the understanding of what actually goes on in the human is still miles behind ever being able to genuinely alter the microbiota balance to give any kind of real lasting effect. We just don't know what's happening in there. The bacteria in your gut do have a huge influence on your overall health and well being, there's evidence now they program the development of your entire immune system. But thinking we can just throw in a handful of 'good' bugs and actually do anything about it is still in the realm of wishful thinking. Just because something doesn't work yet or isn't understood yet doesn't make it pseudoscience, but also just because something is being actively researched doesn't mean you should be selling products based on it.
posted by shelleycat at 2:44 PM on July 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
Just because something doesn't work yet or isn't understood yet doesn't make it pseudoscience, but also just because something is being actively researched doesn't mean you should be selling products based on it.
My degree is in biotech engineering so, believe me, I know what you're saying. But I was very careful in my wording. I didn't say that biomedical research into the effects of administering bacteria on our health is pseudoscience; it's not, it is science. But the specific claims made about probiotic foods like yogurt are pseudoscience.
OP is asking for a scientific review of which yogurts are best qualitatively in terms of probiotic activity so I think in that specific concept it's fair to say that any such claims are pseudoscience.
posted by Justinian at 3:42 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
My degree is in biotech engineering so, believe me, I know what you're saying. But I was very careful in my wording. I didn't say that biomedical research into the effects of administering bacteria on our health is pseudoscience; it's not, it is science. But the specific claims made about probiotic foods like yogurt are pseudoscience.
OP is asking for a scientific review of which yogurts are best qualitatively in terms of probiotic activity so I think in that specific concept it's fair to say that any such claims are pseudoscience.
posted by Justinian at 3:42 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
But the specific claims made about probiotic foods like yogurt are pseudoscience.
Fair enough, I can agree with that. Note I didn't agree with the claims either.
I don't, however, agree so much with the other people just brushing the whole thing off as bunk, because there is something to it all (including some measureable benefits to administering live culture yoghurt to certain people under certain circumstances). I actually think it's really sad how marketing departments have trained the public into expecting solid, specific claims for things when it's actually a complex, living system. It does real nutrition research a disservice because it becomes difficult even for someone working in the field (e.g. me) to tease out what is real, what is simply unsupported by current understanding, and what really is just bunk.
posted by shelleycat at 6:57 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Fair enough, I can agree with that. Note I didn't agree with the claims either.
I don't, however, agree so much with the other people just brushing the whole thing off as bunk, because there is something to it all (including some measureable benefits to administering live culture yoghurt to certain people under certain circumstances). I actually think it's really sad how marketing departments have trained the public into expecting solid, specific claims for things when it's actually a complex, living system. It does real nutrition research a disservice because it becomes difficult even for someone working in the field (e.g. me) to tease out what is real, what is simply unsupported by current understanding, and what really is just bunk.
posted by shelleycat at 6:57 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
I know this is just anecdotal, but eating home-made yogurt has done wonders for my gut.
My method is slightly different from the one that kanewei describes. I heat the milk until almost boiling (185F), then cool it to about 120F, then dump a couple of tablespoons of store-bought Greek yogurt in (closer to room temp than not) and mix. That goes into a container, and gets put in a cooler over night, usually with a sheet stuffed in it for more insulation. 6-8 hours later, you've got more yogurt than you know what to do with. Batches do sort of run out of steam after 3-4 repititions of this for some reason, so you need to replenish about once a month.
As a side note, are you aware of yogurt facials? MUA loves them. I recommend mixing the yogurt with ground up aspirin.
posted by Gilbert at 7:38 PM on July 12, 2010
My method is slightly different from the one that kanewei describes. I heat the milk until almost boiling (185F), then cool it to about 120F, then dump a couple of tablespoons of store-bought Greek yogurt in (closer to room temp than not) and mix. That goes into a container, and gets put in a cooler over night, usually with a sheet stuffed in it for more insulation. 6-8 hours later, you've got more yogurt than you know what to do with. Batches do sort of run out of steam after 3-4 repititions of this for some reason, so you need to replenish about once a month.
As a side note, are you aware of yogurt facials? MUA loves them. I recommend mixing the yogurt with ground up aspirin.
posted by Gilbert at 7:38 PM on July 12, 2010
Probiotic foods are bunk.
Without addressing generalized questions of nutrition, I can say that probiotic yogurt was the only thing that stopped my dementia-ridden father, who couldn't control his own food intake, from having the ugliest gas this side of Saudi Arabia.
posted by dhartung at 10:05 PM on July 12, 2010
Without addressing generalized questions of nutrition, I can say that probiotic yogurt was the only thing that stopped my dementia-ridden father, who couldn't control his own food intake, from having the ugliest gas this side of Saudi Arabia.
posted by dhartung at 10:05 PM on July 12, 2010
dhartung: It's possible that yogurt was the only thing. I suspect that regular old natural yogurt that had never come anywhere near the marketing label "probiotic" was perfectly fine.
posted by Justinian at 12:29 AM on July 13, 2010
posted by Justinian at 12:29 AM on July 13, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Ditto the UK Advertising Standards Authority: "These bugs have evolved with us and there's actually a gigantic number in the human body. To compete with the number of bacteria in your gut you'd need to have 50,000 pots [of Actimel] a day."
In short, they're all the same in that they have no proven 'beneficial bacteria'.
posted by Bodd at 12:39 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]