Activia Bacteria: Intestinal Flora Or Placebo?

To All Activia Activists In Yoplait Land:

This evening I researched the proprietary patented Dannon Activia Yogurt Brand bacterium, namely Bifidus Regularis (TM). Below are the results of my research.

I was prompted to write this after I read comments about Dannon's Bifidus Regularis (TM) at the following three websites:

First, "Magical Yogurt:"

http://writerious.blogspot.com/2006/03/magical-yogurt-bacteria-of-mystic.html

Second, "Tempest in a Yogurt Pot:"

http://writerious.blogspot.com/search/label/my%20writing%20life

and Third, "Dannon Responds:"

http://writerious.blogspot.com/2006/03/dannon-responds.html

All of the above were written by K. B., a Science Instructor in Salem Oregon. I am sure many others have written on the subject of Dannon's Activia Yogurt. Perhaps they will read this letter and the others written by K. B. and comment.

Bifidus Regularis (TM) is a patented Probiotic Culture Name which the Dannon Yogurt Company has registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This trade-name is used in Dannon Activia Yogurt advertising material. Dannon advertises this bacterium as an active probiotic organism which exists in its Activia product in significant quantities or colonies, and, when ingested, joins with human intestinal flora to aid digestion, support the immune system and promote health and well-being generally.

Dannon's advertising suggests that this patented organism is unique. The advertising implies that only Dannon Activia Brand Yogurt with Bifidus Regularis (TM) will help consumers to achieve gastrointestinal homeostasis, optimal assimilation of nutrients through the intestinal membrane and villi, a robust immune system and general health and well-being.

I disagree.

Perhaps my disagreement may suggest that I have acquired a new intestinal organism of my own, which may explain my contrariety. My gastrointestinal system may now be populated with colonies of Lactobacillus Acidophilus Contrarius.

But I digest.

I believe that there are absolutely no additional health benefits to be gained from buying Activia Yogurt and ingesting its Bifidus Regularis (TM). I believe that ordinary commercial or retail greengrocers' yogurt, available to consumers throughout the Developed Modern Western World for decades, has always contained active Lactobacillus Acidophilus (or a similar active organism) and has always afforded exactly the same health benefits (if any there are) which Dannon ascribes to Bifidus Regularis (TM).

I posit that Lactobacillus Acidophilus, also an active organism (or any of a number of similar organisms found in commercial yogurt) is as effective a supplement to human intestinal flora as Bifidus Regularis (TM), and that no additional health benefits of any kind are realized by consumers of Activia which have not been available to all other yogurt brand consumers, lo these many decades, at no additional cost. Lactobacillus Acidophilus (and many other similar organisms) has/have been used as Yogurt Starter Culture(s) for centuries.

These organisms are well-known, and their probiotic health benefits (if any) have been experienced by yogurt consumers for many generations throughout Europe and the United States. The express classification of these agents as probiotic occurred in about 1907 when Nutritional and Gastrointestinal Health experts began to more carefully study and publish articles about the suspected beneficial health effects of yogurt in the Western European and American Diet.

I believe that whatever health benefits may be available to consumers through Bifidus Regularis (TM) have always been uniformly available to all commercial yogurt consumers, who have, for many years, consumed other essentially identical active organisms such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus.

Although I admit (for the sake of the above discussion) that the supplementary flora in yogurt may promote human health and well-being, I believe there are no real gastrointestinal/immune system or other health benefits in yogurt or its flora.

I have reviewed some of the current Medical Literature, written in light of the advent of Dannon Activia and other purported GI-flora-supplementary grocery products which have become recently commercially popular. I interpret this literature to solidly support the conclusion that yogurt (and other non-yogurt GI-flora grocery products) does/do not beneficially supplement or improve human intestinal flora or function, does/do not aid digestion or nutrient assimilation, does/do not fortify the human immune system and does/do not afford any other real health benefits.

Yogurt tastes good and imbues one with a sense of satiety. Yogurt is now delivered to consumers in a vast array of flavours, formulations and textures. However, these changes have not and cannot transform yogurt into a medicine.

Perhaps I am wrong, but I think not.

Have a Dovely.

Sincerely yours,
CALEB BOONE.

P.S.: Now, this is not to say that there are no foodstuffs/nutrients which benefit human health. I am aware of a certain Most Beautiful Muffin which, when received and taken with a smoothie, a glass of skim milk (which I prefer) or Carl's Junior Coffee, will miraculously restore mental and physical health and strength to a degree impossible to achieve through any known medical or surgical treatments. But I am unwilling to share this Muffin with anybody.