A recent surveyı reveals that doctors who take the time to discuss
nutrition with most of their patients recommend the consumption of yogurt with
live active cultures. The Live Active Culture (LAC) Yogurt Survey, funded by
The Dannon Company, Inc., surveyed 565 primary care physicians across the
country to ascertain whether they believe there are health benefits associated
with the regular consumption of live active cultures.
Of those queried, two out of three doctors who counsel the majority of their
patients on nutritional issues recommend yogurt because it offers overall
nutritional health benefits. The survey shows that these doctors most associate
the consumption of live active cultured yogurt with the following benefits:
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A source of calcium - An 8 oz serving of DANNON yogurt is a good source of
calcium, providing between 25%--40% of the recommended daily value of calcium,
depending on the variety of the yogurt.
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For patients who are lactose intolerant - The enzyme lactase, normally produced
by the body, is required to break down or digest lactose, which is a type of
naturally occurring sugar in milk products. People who lack this enzyme suffer
from lactose intolerance or malabsorption. Lactose digestion may also be
temporarily impaired during acute gastrointestinal illnesses.
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People who avoid dairy products due to lactose intolerance may be deficient in
calcium and some other important nutrients found in dairy products ², ³.
- Produce the enzyme lactase and break down some of the lactose in
milk. This may make live active cultured yogurt like DANNON a tolerable
good source of dairy calcium for people who are lactose intolerant.
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Maintaining intestinal microflora - The human intestines are host to an
estimated 400 different types of bacteria; some of which are beneficial and
some of which are not. Scientific research has been conducted to explore the
composition of bacteria that are present in the intestines and how dietary
consumption of certain types and amounts of beneficial bacteria may positively
influence gastrointestinal microflora², ³.
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For overall intestinal health - A number of studies have examined the role that
lactic acid bacteria, which may be found in yogurt, can play in the maintenance
of a healthy intestinal system 2, 4.
"Doctors who share this nutrition information with their patients are putting
to work years of research," said Dr. Allan Walker of Harvard Medical School.
"Several studies suggest that the consumption of adequate amounts of the
appropriate strains of live active cultures, like those found in yogurt, may
help some better tolerate dairy products. Research is also investigating the
role of specific live active cultures to help maintain overall gastrointestinal
health."
In addition to the above-mentioned benefits, there is on going scientific
interest in the consumption of beneficial bacteria and the role they may play
in helping to maintain health. For example, some research suggests that live
active cultured yogurt may be a good food to include in the diet of those
taking antibiotics2. Other research has explored the consumption of live active
yogurt and the incidence of candidal vaginitis (yeast infections)5.
Yogurt, one of the world's first functional foods, is also a recommended food
in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. The DASH clinical
trials6 have found that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy
foods, coupled with reduced saturated and total fat intake, can substantially
lower blood pressure.
"Dannon's heritage is based on a commitment to deliver high quality, wholesome
cultured dairy products," said Eric Leventhal, vice president, marketing, The
Dannon Company. "Dannon's broad line of yogurt products provide consumers with
quick and convenient ways to help maintain a healthy, active lifestyle."
All DANNON cup yogurt products carry the National Yogurt Association's LAC
seal. This seal identifies those products that contain at least 100 million
active cultures per gram at time of production and at least 10 million at the
end of shelf life.
The Dannon Company, Inc., is a leading national producer of yogurt products in
the United States with corporate headquarters in Tarrytown, NY, and plants in
Minster, OH; Fort Worth, TX; and West Jordan, UT. With a strong commitment to
high-quality, wholesome, nutritious and innovative products, Dannon produces
about six million cups of yogurt each day in nearly 100 flavors, styles and
sizes. For more information about Dannon, visit our Web site at www.dannon.com.
The Live Active Culture Yogurt Survey was conducted in July, 2001 by Monroe
Mendelsohn Research. Funding for the survey was provided by The Dannon Company,
Inc. This research is available by request by contacting: The Dannon Company,
Inc., Attention: Public Relations Department, 120 White Plains Road, Tarrytown,
NY, 10591.
References
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The Live Active Culture Yogurt Survey was conducted in July, 2001 by Monroe
Mendelsohn Research. A total of 565 surveys were conducted among a randomly
selected national sample of primary care physicians (internal medicine, family
practice and general practitioners). The sample was drawn to reflect the
proportion of each specialty among the universe of PCP's. The maximum sampling
error range for this survey is 14 percentage points.
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Kopp-Hoolihan L. Prophylactic and therapeutic uses of probiotics: A review.
Journal of The American Dietetic Association 2001;101(2):229-238.
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Naidu AS, Bidlack WR, Clemens RA. Probiotic Spectra of Lactic Acid Bacteria
(LAB). Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 1999;38(1):13-126.
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Meydani SN, Ha WK. Review article: Immunologic effects of yogurt. The American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000;71(4):861-872.
-
Hilton E, Isenberg HD, Alperstein P, France K, Borenstein M. Ingestion of
Yogurt Containing Lactobacillus acidophilus as Prophylaxis for Candidal
Vaginitis. Annals of Internal Medicine 1992;116(5):353-357.
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Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP, Sacks FM, Bray GA,
Vogt TM, Cutler JA, Windhauser MM, Lin PH, Karanja N. A Clinical Trial of the
Effects of Dietary Patterns on Blood Pressure. The New England Journal of
Medicine 1997;336(16):1117-1124.
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