You can top it with fresh fruit and granola for breakfast, add it to veggie dip and salad dressing for lunch, or mix it into a smoothie for a pre-workout snack. Whatever your preference, eating yogurt with live active cultures is a simple and nutritious way to sneak protein, calcium, and probiotics into your diet. Plus, it may help support a healthy digestive system and alleviate symptoms of some gastrointestinal disorders.
What Are Live Active Cultures in Yogurt?
When you see the words “live and active cultures” on a yogurt label, that means the product you are buying contains Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). These living organisms are beneficial bacteria that convert pasteurized milk to yogurt during fermentation. To make sure you are getting live culture yogurt that has not been heat-treated, which kills the live cultures, the IDFA and National Yogurt Association (NYA) established special “Live and Active Cultures” seals that you can look for on refrigerated and frozen yogurt containers, according to the International Probiotics Association (IPA).
Some yogurts don’t have a seal despite having live and active cultures, but the seals indicate that one of these authorities has verified a product’s ingredients. The seals also signal that the yogurt contains a significant number of beneficial bacteria. Specifically, choosing a live culture yogurt with an NYA or IDFA seal ensures that your yogurt contains at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture or frozen yogurt that has 10 million cultures per gram.
That said, in order for a refrigerated product to be called yogurt, it must be produced using Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, according to Harvard Health Publishing. But that’s where the similarities end. Heat-treating yogurt after fermentation can kill live and active cultures, resulting in a product that doesn’t contain as many beneficial bacteria, according to the IPA.
Benefits of Live Culture Yogurt
While the calcium and protein in yogurt are also good for your health, research suggests live and active cultures may have distinct benefits, according to a systematic review published in April 2021 in Nutrition Reviews. Some of these include helping reduce inflammation and supporting heart health, immunity, blood sugar control, and weight loss, according to a review published in September 2022 in Foods. Yogurt may also help alleviate symptoms of some digestive issues, including diarrhea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Another benefit of eating live culture yogurt are probiotics. These helpful microbes include bacteria and yeasts that benefit the body’s microbiome – the community of organisms living in your gut and elsewhere, according to Cleveland Clinic. Some people take probiotics as a supplement to help counteract the side effects of certain antibiotics, clear up a urinary tract infection, or reduce the symptoms of gastrointestinal illnesses such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Including probiotic yogurt in your diet is also another great way to benefit from these beneficial bacteria.
If you’re looking for the best live culture yogurt brands, the first step is to check for the “Live and Active Cultures” seal, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Since some yogurts do not carry this label, you will need to read the ingredient list to check for the cultures and probiotics they include. It’s also a good idea to choose a product with little or no added sugar.
How to Include Yogurt in Your Diet
Including yogurt in your diet is simple and convenient. Plus, the variety of flavors and textures makes it easy to find one that you’ll enjoy. While spooning yogurt right out of the container is the quickest way to get the job done, there are many other ways to sneak this nutritious snack into your day, including:
- Add one-half cup of Greek-style yogurt to a smoothie
- Mix low-fat granola or cereal into a container of yogurt
- Add fresh fruit to plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt
- Use plain yogurt in place of sour cream
- Top your pancakes or waffles with unsweetened Greek yogurt and fresh strawberries
- Mix low-fat Greek yogurt with onion soup for a tasty veggie dip
- Freeze fruit-flavored yogurt in ice-cube trays for frozen yogurt treats
If you don’t have a favorite type of yogurt, try a few different brands to see which you like best. Harvard Health Publishing recommends looking for a high-protein yogurt with little or no added sugar, and simple ingredients. Unsweetened Greek-style yogurt usually contains more protein and less sugar than some other varieties.
