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Yogurt

My yogurt recipe:

I use the Yogourmet Electric Yogurt Maker.  I worried about the BPA in the plastic container I use the glass jars sold at Amazon.  I mix one and three quarters cups of Peak whole milk powder and one and three quarters cups of Carnation non-fat dry milk with water in a blender.  The cheaper brands of whole milk powder don't work for some reason, use the Peak brand.  I pour that in the yogurt jar and top it off with water.  Then I put that in the microwave for four minutes to bring it to about 110 degrees.  Then I add one container of vanilla flavored Activia for the culture.  Don't use the Activia that says "70 calories".  It doesn't come out right for some reason.  I put that in the Yogourment for 10 hours.  Then I pour that into the yogurt strainer for another 20 hours in the refrigerator.  I flavor it with Smucker's Orchard's Finest Strawberry.

The Pyrex is the perfect size to store the Greek yogurt.

News & Research:

• A daily dose of yogurt could be the go-to food to manage high blood pressure - Science Daily, 12/7/21 - "Dairy foods, especially yoghurt, may be capable of reducing blood pressure ... This is because dairy foods contain a range of micronutrients, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which are involved in the regulation of blood pressure ... Yoghurt is especially interesting because it also contains bacteria that promote the release of proteins which lowers blood pressure ... This study showed for people with elevated blood pressure, even small amounts of yoghurt were associated with lower blood pressure ... And for those who consumed yoghurt regularly, the results were even stronger, with blood pressure readings nearly seven points lower than those who did not consume yoghurt" - Note: Go with the recipe on this page or go with the Noosa brand at the grocery store.
• The association between daily yogurt consumption and serum lipid profiles in the general adult population: the TCLSIH cohort study - Int J Food Sci Nutr 2021 Nov 9 - "In the final multivariate model, daily yogurt consumption was negatively associated with triglyceride (TG) (p for trend <0.001) and positively associated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p for trend = 0.02). There were no significant differences (p for trend >0.05) between daily yogurt consumption and total cholesterol (TC) or low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Results suggested that higher daily yogurt consumption was negatively correlated with TG and positively correlated with HDL-C in the general Chinese population"
• Eating yogurt may reduce cardiovascular disease risk - Science Daily, 2/15/18 - "Higher intakes of yogurt were associated with a 30 percent reduction in risk of myocardial infarction among the Nurses' Health Study women and a 19 percent reduction in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study me ... In both groups, participants consuming more than two servings a week of yogurt had an approximately 20 percent lower risks of major coronary heart disease or stroke during the follow-up period"
• Homemade Yogurt Resolves Irritable Bowel Symptoms - Medscape, 12/7/17 - "We had 189 patients in the study, and 169 had remission within 6 months ... And some of the participants had lived with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome for 9 or 10 years ... Complete remission — defined as the relief of pre-existing irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and one or two normal bowel movements daily — was achieved by 89% of the study participants" - Note:  I've had yogurt made the way indicated in this article many times made by different people.  It's not palatable.   Try the recipe on my yogurt page.
• Daily Yogurt Consumption Leads to Better Bone Health - Medscape, 9/23/16 - "Healthy postmenopausal women who eat at least one serving of yogurt a day have a lower body mass index (BMI), less fat, and better bone density — at least at some skeletal sites — than women who never consume yogurt ... Yogurt is a source of nutrients, in particular calcium and protein, but it also contains fermented daily products and probiotics, all of which are potentially beneficial for bone health ... At baseline, women who consumed yogurt (over 91% of the cohort) had a 4.4% higher BMD value at the lumbar spine than women who never consumed yogurt ... Women who consumed yogurt were also 6.4% leaner than those who never ate it, again independent of total energy intake and physical activity ... the prevalence of low trauma fractures trended toward a lower rate, at 19% among yogurt consumers vs 29% for nonconsumers"
• Greek? Nonfat? Fruit-flavored? A dietitian dishes on yogurt - NYT, 5/3/16 - "A key recommendation in the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to choose low-fat or fat-free because dairy fat is mostly saturated, the type linked with increased cholesterol and risk of heart disease. Also, full-fat dairy has more calories than nonfat, so it seems logical that forgoing the fat would be a better choice for keeping weight in check ... But this view has been challenged recently with a few well-publicized studies that surprisingly link the fat in dairy with a lower risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Researchers surmise that full-fat dairy might offer some as-yet-unknown health benefit. It also might help with weight management because the fat in it makes it more satisfying, helping keep your appetite in check ... It’s worth repeating that there’s no need to worry about the sugars that are inherent in dairy products. They’re naturally “packaged” with so many important nutrients that it would be misguided to avoid them. It’s the sweeteners added to these foods that are best kept to a minimum"
• Dairy Consumption and Risk of Frailty in Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study - Medscape, 10/29/15 - "Participants consuming seven or more servings per week of low-fat milk and yogurt had lower incidence of frailty (OR = 0.52; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.29–0.90; P for trend = .03) than those consuming less than one serving per week. Specifically, consumers of seven or more servings per week of low-fat milk and yogurt had less risk of slow walking speed (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.44–0.92, P trend = .01) and of weight loss (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.33–0.87, P trend = .02). Consuming seven or more servings per week of whole milk or yogurt (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 0.90–2.60, P trend = .10) or of cheese (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.52–1.61; P trend = .61) was not associated with incident frailty"
• Milk and dairy consumption correlates with cerebral cortical as well as cerebral white matter volume in healthy young adults - Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2015 Oct 5:1-4 - "Total cerebral cortex, total cerebral white matter, and total cerebral parenchyma were significantly related with cottage cheese and total protein intake from milk and dairy also when controlled for age and gender in the multivariate model. Our results indicate that dietary habits related with milk and dairy are proportionally associated with volumes of both cerebral cortex and cerebral white matter"
• Yogurt May Lower Diabetes Risk - NYTimes.com, 11/24/14 - "Researchers followed almost 200,000 men and women ages 25 to 75 for as long as 30 years, tracking their health with periodic interviews and their diets with detailed food questionnaires ... total dairy consumption, either high-fat or low-fat, was not associated with the risk for Type 2 diabetes ... But yogurt was different. Compared to eating the average amount of 4 ounces a day, eating 12 ounces a day was associated with an 18 percent reduction in the risk for Type 2 diabetes"
• Best and Worst Foods for Bloating - ABC News, 5/7/14 - "Best: Yogurt with probiotics ... Get some of those good bacteria into your gut! Called probiotics, they help regulate digestion and champion the overall health of your digestive tract. Sure, you can take probiotic supplements, but you may as well get a breakfast out of it"
• Top 4 Foods for Thicker, Shinier Hair - ABC News, 4/29/14 - "Yogurt ... These good bacteria help balance the community of microorganisms that live in our intestines. And a recent study by MIT researchers suggests that probiotics help produce that “healthy glow” we all want, by making skin more radiant and hair more shiny, thick, and lustrous"
• Top 3 Foods for a Longer Life - ABC News, 4/21/14 - "resveratrol increases the activity of specific genes called sirtuins that protect against diseases of aging by revving up the mitochondria, the little batteries inside our cells ... mice fed the bacterial strain Bifidobacterium animalis lactis lived longer and were healthier than mice that did not receive the probiotic ... people who consume 650 mg a day of polyphenols live longer than those who get less then that" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
• Could Low-Fat Yogurt Help Ward Off Diabetes? - WebMD, 2/5/14 - "Emerging research suggests that gut microbes play important roles in the development of type 2 diabetes, inflammation and other diseases ... Forouhi and colleagues collected data on 4,255 men and women who were part of a larger British study. This group included 753 people who developed type 2 diabetes over 11 years of follow-up and 3,502 randomly selected people for comparison ... the amount of high-fat dairy or total low-fat dairy was not linked to the risk of developing diabetes -- once factors like healthy lifestyles, education, obesity, other eating habits and total calorie intake were taken into account ... Milk and cheese consumption was also not associated with the risk of developing diabetes ... what was significant was the amount of low-fat fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, fromage frais (a fresh, low-fat curd cheese similar to cottage cheese), and low-fat cottage cheese participants ate ... For those who ate the most of these foods, the risk of developing diabetes shrank 24 percent, compared with those who didn't eat any ... When the investigators looked specifically at yogurt, the risk of developing diabetes was reduced by 28 percent ... The lowered risk was seen among people who ate about 4.5 standard 125-gram cups (about 4.4 ounces each) of yogurt a week"
• Probiotics a Potential Treatment for Mental Illness - Medscape, 11/19/13 - "Another study of 124 volunteers (mean age, 61.8 years) showed that those who consumed probiotic-containing yogurt for 3 weeks had significantly improved mood compared with those who received placebo" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Is Dairy Intake Associated to Breast Cancer? A Case Control Study of Iranian Women - Nutr Cancer. 2013 Sep 25 - "100 cases and 175 controls ... Dietary data were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire ... We observed that higher consumption of total dairy intake was accompanied with reduced breast cancer risk [odds ratio (OR) = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.04-0.38]. A similar inverse association was also observed for higher intakes of low-fat and fermented dairy products (P for trend <0.05). Lower intake of high-fat dairy was associated with reduced odds of breast cancer, and no significant association was found between nonfermented dairy and breast cancer risk. Our study demonstrates the protective effects of high intakes of total dairy, low-fat and fermented dairy, as well as low intakes of high-fat dairy products against breast cancer risk and shows no association with nonfermented dairy" - Note:  Did I read that right, '0.14' or an 86% reduction in risk?  See my yogurt recipe at the top of this page.
• Changing Gut Bacteria Through Diet Affects Brain Function - Science Daily, 5/28/13 - "Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut ... Researchers divided the women into three groups: one group ate a specific yogurt containing a mix of several probiotics -- bacteria thought to have a positive effect on the intestines -- twice a day for four weeks; another group consumed a dairy product that looked and tasted like the yogurt but contained no probiotics; and a third group ate no product at all ... compared with the women who didn't consume the probiotic yogurt, those who did showed a decrease in activity in both the insula -- which processes and integrates internal body sensations, like those form the gut -- and the somatosensory cortex during the emotional reactivity task ... Further, in response to the task, these women had a decrease in the engagement of a widespread network in the brain that includes emotion-, cognition- and sensory-related areas. The women in the other two groups showed a stable or increased activity in this network" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com or my yogurt recipe above.
• Stressful day ahead? Grab a yogurt for breakfast - TODAY Health, 10/12/12 - "Researchers from the University of Cork fed mice a diet full of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1), bacteria that colonize the gut that provide healthy digestion and prevent diarrhea, and found that the mice exhibited fewer signs of depression and anxiety and expressed less corticosterone, a stress hormone. A regular diet of probiotics changed the brain chemistry in the mice -- probiotics modified how the mice expressed receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA, suggesting that probiotics change neurochemistry"
• Sesame & Rice Bran Oil, Yogurt Help Blood Pressure - WebMD, 9/19/12 - "The first study showed a sesame and rice bran oil blend reduced blood pressure almost as well as a commonly used medication. And the second study found that people who routinely eat yogurt are less likely to develop high blood pressure ... In the yogurt study, about 2,000 adults without high blood pressure were followed for 14 years. The researchers found that participants were 31% less likely to develop high blood pressure if more than 2% of their daily calories came from yogurt" - See sesame seed oil at Amazon.com and rice bran oil at Amazon.com.
• Yogurt Makes Mice Slimmer, Sexier - ABC News, 5/7/12 - "Not only does yogurt make mice slimmer; it also makes them sexier ... Maybe probiotics in the yogurt have something to do with the effects on weight ... It turns out their testicles were 5 percent bigger than those of their non-yogurt eating counterparts, and 15 percent bigger than those of mice on a diet designed to mimic “junk food” in humans. And in this case, bigger was better ... And let’s not forget the ladies. Female mice that ate yogurt were even shinier than the males, and tended to be better moms to their larger litters"
• Greek yogurt on a marathon-like growth spurt - USATODAY.com, 1/23/12 - "Greek yogurt is made a bit differently than the thinner, more watery product that dominated U.S. supermarket shelves for decades. The whey is strained off, leaving a creamier yogurt high in protein and low in fat"
• Probiotic intake linked to fewer birth complications - Nutra USA, 9/13/11 - "The Norwegian researchers analyzed data from 33,399 women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study ... The intake of lactobacilli-containing milk-based products was determined using a food frequency questionnaire, while pre-eclampsia was determined using the Norwegian Medical Birth Registry ... the daily intake of at least 140 mL of probiotic milk products was associated with a 20% reduced risk of pre-eclampsia ... The effects were more pronounced for severe pre-eclampsia, with daily and weekly intakes of probiotic products associated with a 39% and 25%, respectively" - [Abstract]
• Foods rich in protein, dairy products help dieters preserve muscle and lose belly fat - Science Daily, 8/29/11 - "a higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate energy-restricted diet has a major positive impact on body composition, trimming belly fat and increasing lean muscle, particularly when the proteins come from dairy products ... compared three groups of overweight and obese, but otherwise healthy, premenopausal women. Each consumed either low, medium or high amounts of dairy foods coupled with higher or lower amounts of protein and carbohydrates ... there were identical total weight losses among the groups, but the higher-protein, high-dairy group experienced greater whole-body fat and abdomen fat losses, greater lean mass gains and greater increases in strength ... One hundred per cent of the weight lost in the higher-protein, high-dairy group was fat. And the participants gained muscle mass, which is a major change in body composition ... the lower-protein, low-dairy group lost about a pound and half of muscle whereas the lower-protein, medium dairy group lost almost no muscle. In marked contrast, the higher-protein, high-dairy group actually gained a pound and half of muscle, representing a three-pound difference between the low- and high-dairy groups ... On top of the muscle mass differences, the higher-protein, high-dairy group lost twice as much belly fat than the lower-protein, low-dairy group ... These women also got fitter and stronger"
• Potatoes bad, nuts good for staying slim, Harvard study finds - The Washington Post, 6/22/11 - "But is a serving of boiled potatoes really much worse than a helping of nuts? Is some white bread as bad as a candy bar? Could yogurt be a key to staying slim? ... The answer to all those questions is yes, according to the provocative revelations produced by a big Harvard project that for the first time details how much weight individual foods make people put on or keep off ... Although calories remain crucial, some foods clearly cause people to put on more weight than others, perhaps because of their chemical makeup and how our bodies process them ... starches and refined carbohydrates such as potatoes cause blood sugar and insulin to surge, which makes people feel less satisfied and eat more as a result ... Researchers will surely scramble to try to explain why yogurt appears so helpful. It may be because of subtle shifts of microbes in the digestive tract, or perhaps because people who eat more yogurt also tend to do other healthy things"
  • You don’t want fries with that - The Washington Post, 6/22/11 - It's the full graphic from the above article.  A must see.
  • Study: Some foods help shed pounds, others help pack them on - The Washington Post, 6/22/11 - It's a nine slide slideshow on the above article.  It's a little confusing.  You need to select "Autoplay" plus read what is says on the right.
  • To Keep Off Pounds: Pass The Nuts, Hold The Chips - NPR, 6/23/11 - NPR article on the same study.
  • Harvard Study Measures Four-Year Weight Gain Associated With One More Daily Serving of Potato Chips, French Fries - WSJ.com, 6/23/11 - "An additional daily serving of certain foods was associated with weight loss over a four year period ... Yogurt -0.82 pounds ... Nuts -0.57 pounds ... Fruits -0.49 pounds ... Whole grains -0.37 pounds ... Vegetables -0.22 pounds ... Source: NEJM"
  • See my yogurt recipe at the top of my Yogurt Page.  I practically live on that stuff because I have trouble swallowing after my throat cancer surgery six and a half years ago.  See New way to identify patients at risk of dysphagia after head and neck cancer treatment - Science Daily, 2/25/11 - "Dysphagia may be acute (starting in direct association with treatment) or late (starting months to years after treatment). Risk factors for developing severe acute dysphagia were large tumours, spreading of cancer cells to the lymph nodes"
• Yogurt may boost immune function in at-risk populations - Nutra USA, 6/21/11
• Comfort food: Protein from probiotic bacteria may alleviate inflammatory bowel disorders - Science Daily, 5/23/11 - "A protein isolated from beneficial bacteria found in yogurt and dairy products could offer a new, oral therapeutic option for inflammatory bowel disorders (IBD) ... the protein supports intestinal epithelial cell growth and function, and reduces inflammatory responses that can cause intestinal cells to die. Importantly, the investigators showed that oral consumption of p40 by mice in a protective delivery system prevents and treats colitis in multiple models of the disease ... Many of the hundreds of bacterial species that live in our gut (known as the "human microbiome") are helpful to us: they help us digest certain substances, produce vitamins and fight off more dangerous bacteria. But miscommunication between these bacteria and our gut lining can lead to conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease"
• Component in common dairy foods may cut diabetes risk, study suggests - Science Daily, 12/20/10 - "The compound, trans-palmitoleic acid, is a fatty acid found in milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter ... trans-palmitoleic acid may underlie epidemiological evidence in recent years that diets rich in dairy foods are linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic abnormalities. Health experts generally advise reducing full-fat dairy products, but trans-palmitoleic acid is found in dairy fat ... At baseline, higher circulating levels of trans-palmitoleic acid were associated with healthier levels of blood cholesterol, inflammatory markers, insulin levels, and insulin sensitivity, after adjustment for other risk factors. During follow-up, individuals with higher circulating levels of trans-palmitoleic acid had a much lower risk of developing diabetes, with about a 60% lower risk among participants in the highest quintile (fifth) of trans-palmitoleic acid levels"
• Dannon's Activia, DanActive health claims draw $21M fine - USATODAY.com, 12/15/10 - "Dannon will stop claiming that one daily serving of Activia yogurt relieves irregularity and that DanActive helps people avoid catching colds" - Here's the reason I used Activia to make my own yoghurt (first bullet).  This article doesn't address it.  I never did buy off on the irregularity claim but there might be some support for colds:
  • Dannon Activia | How Activia Helps - Activia.com - "This is where Activia, with Bifidus Regularis®, can help! Activia is shown in several clinical studies to survive passage through the digestive system and arrive in the gut in enough quantities to help have a positive impact on slow intestinal transit"
  • Probiotics show potential against common cold: Study - Nutra USA 9/21/10 - "daily consumption of Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL 9 (DSM 15312) and Lactobacillus paracasei 8700:2 (DSM 13434) reduced the incidence of one or more episodes of the common cold from 67 percent in the placebo group to 55 percent, according to findings published in the European Journal of Nutrition ... Furthermore, the number of days of symptoms for the cold was significantly reduced in people taking the probiotic supplements, from an average of 8.6 to 6.2, compared with placebo ... the total symptom score was reduced during the study period from a mean of 44.4 for the control group to 33.6 for the probiotic group"
• The Benefits of Yogurt - WebMD, 3/7/07 - "your body needs to have a healthy amount of ''good'' bacteria in the digestive tract ... Yogurt May Help Prevent Osteoporosis ... Yogurt May Reduce the Risk of High Blood Pressure ... Yogurt With Active Cultures Helps the Gut ... Yogurt With Active Cultures May Discourage Vaginal Infections ... Yogurt May Help You Feel Fuller"
• Gut bacteria could be key indicator of colon cancer risk - Science Daily, 6/24/10- "a shift in the balance between the "good" bacteria and the "bad" bacteria that populate our gut could be a harbinger of colon cancer ... We think something happens to tip the balance away from the beneficial bacteria and in favor of microbes that make toxic metabolites and are detrimental to our health ... By pinpointing these bacterial culprits, we can not only identify people at risk, but also suggest that they include the good bacteria in their diet .. And what a great way to address colon cancer -- you could know your risk and lower it by eating your yogurt every day" - Note:  Dannon claims that only their Activia brand reaches the gut.  see:
  • Activia by Dannon - "Specialists at Dannon® selected Bifidus Regularis™ for Activia® because it survives passage through the digestive tract, arriving in the colon as a living culture. Once there, it plays a beneficial role in your intestinal ecosystem"
• 15 best age-erasing superfoods - MSNBC, 5/25/10 - "Yogurt ... Various cultures claim yogurt as their own creation, but the 2,000-year-old food’s health benefits are not disputed: Fermentation spawns hundreds of millions of probiotic organisms that serve as reinforcements to the battalions of beneficial bacteria in your body, which keep your digestive tract healthy and your immune system in top form, and provide protection against cancer. Not all yogurts are probiotic, though, so make sure the label says “live and active cultures.”"
• Yogurt-like drink DanActive reduced rate of common infections in daycare children - Science Daily, 5/19/10 - "Researchers found a 19 percent decrease of common infections among the children who drank the yogurt-like drink with L. casei DN-114 001 compared to those whose drink did not have the probiotic. More specifically, those who drank DanActive had 24 percent fewer gastrointestinal infections (such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting), and 18 percent fewer upper respiratory tract infections (such as ear infections, sinusitis and strep). However, the reduction in infections did not result in fewer missed school days or activities -- also a primary outcome of the study" - [Abstract]
• New Yogurt Fights Stomach Ulcers - WebMD, 3/22/09 - "H. pylori uses an enzyme called urease to attach to and infect the inside of the stomach. This latest yogurt, designed to fight stomach ulcers, contains an antibody called IgY-urease. The yogurt is marketed as Dr. Piro in Japan and as Gut in Korea. Researchers are hopeful that their clinical trial will pave the way for approval in the United States ... For the trial, scientists recruited 42 people who tested positive for H. pylori. Some participants ate the yogurt with the antibody three times a day for four weeks. Some participants ate the same amount of regular yogurt that didn't contain the antibody. H. pylori activity was significantly reduced in the antibody yogurt group"
• Probiotic Yogurt May Help Eradicate H. pylori Infection - Medscape, 4/17/06 - "Four weeks of pretreatment with AB-yogurt before quadruple therapy improves eradication rate of residual H. pylori after failed triple therapy"

Abstracts:

• Total dairy consumption in relation to overweight and obesity in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis - Obes Rev 2021 Dec 8 - "results showed an inverse association between total dairy consumption and obesity prevalence (OR (95% CI): 0.66 (0.48-0.91). No significant associations were found between milk or yogurt and obesity prevalence risk. Regarding prospective studies, total milk consumption was positively associated with overweight prevalence (OR (95% CI): 1.13 (1.01-1.26)) and incidence (RR (95%CI): 1.17 (1.01-1.35)) risk. Evidence from pooled analysis of cross-sectional studies suggested an inverse association between total dairy consumption and obesity"
• Probiotic-containing yogurt protects against microbiome changes that lead to antibiotic-induced diarrhea - Science Daily, 9/14/21 - "The study found that yogurt containing the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 worked better than a placebo at maintaining the community of bacteria in the colon"
• Effect of the Lactococcus Lactis 11/19-B1 Strain on Atopic Dermatitis in a Clinical Test and Mouse Model - Nutrients. 2020 Mar 14 - "Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known to improve atopic dermatitis (AD) through the regulation and stimulation of the host immune system. In this study, we found that ingestion of yogurt containing Lactococcus lactis 11/19-B1 strain (L. lactis 11/19-B1) daily for 8 weeks significantly improved the severity scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) system score from 38.8 ± 14.4 to 24.2 ± 12.0 in children suffering from AD ... AD-like skin lesions on the dorsal skin and ear were most improved by L. lactis 11/19-B1 intake among the five LAB species. In addition, analysis of CD4+ T cell subsets in Peyer's patches (PPs) and cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) indicated that the intake of L. lactis 11/19-B1 generally suppressed all subsets related to inflammation, i.e., Th1, Th2 and Th17, instead of activating the suppressive system, Treg, in the AD mouse model. Histological observations showed ingestion of L. lactis 11/19-B1 significantly suppressed severe inflammatory findings, such as inflammatory cell filtration, epidermal erosion and eosinophil infiltration. These results suggest that the immunomodulatory effects of L. lactis 11/19-B1 contribute to improvements in AD pathology" - [Nutra USA]
• Effects of 12-Week Ingestion of Yogurt Containing Lactobacillus plantarum OLL2712 on Glucose Metabolism and Chronic Inflammation in Prediabetic Adults: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial - Nutrients. 2020 Jan 31 - "The ingestion of Lactobacillus plantarum OLL2712 (OLL2712) cells improved glucose metabolism by suppressing chronic inflammation in mouse models and in a preliminary clinical study. We aimed to clarify the effect of OLL2712 on glucose metabolism and chronic inflammation for healthy adults. Prediabetic adults (n = 130, age range: 20-64 years) were randomly assigned to either the placebo or OLL2712 groups (n = 65 each) and were administered conventional yogurt or yogurt containing more than 5 × 109 heat-treated OLL2712 cells, respectively, daily for 12 weeks. Reduced HbA1c levels after 12 weeks of treatment were observed in both groups compared to those at baseline; however, the 12-week reduction of HbA1c levels was significantly greater in the OLL2712 group than in the placebo group. Increased chronic inflammation marker levels and insulin-resistant index (HOMA-IR) occurred in the placebo group but not in the OLL2712 group. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels did not change significantly in both groups; however, in subgroup analyses including participants with higher FBG levels, FBG levels were significantly reduced only in the OLL2712 group compared to baseline. These results suggest that OLL2712 cell ingestion can reduce HbA1c levels and can prevent the aggravation of chronic inflammation and insulin resistance" - [Nutra USA]
• Yogurt Is a Low-Glycemic Index Food - J Nutr. 2017 Jun 14 - "Because the GI of yogurt is lower than that of most other carbohydrate foods, exchanging yogurt for other protein and carbohydrate sources can reduce the GI and GL of the diet, and is in line with recommended dietary patterns, which include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, vegetable oils, and yogurt"
• Yogurt and Diabetes: Overview of Recent Observational Studies - J Nutr. 2017 Jun 14 - "We found that 13 prospective studies evaluated the association between yogurt intake and type 2 diabetes, most of which showed an inverse association between the frequency of yogurt consumption and the risk of diabetes. In addition to the scientific evidence accumulated from individual prospective studies, several meta-analyses have shown that yogurt consumption has a potential role in diabetes prevention. The most recent analysis shows a 14% lower risk of type 2 diabetes when yogurt consumption was 80-125 g/d compared with no yogurt consumption"
• Consumption of Dairy Yogurt Containing Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis and Heat-Treated Lactobacillus plantarum Improves Immune Function Including Natural Killer Cell Activity - Nutrients. 2017 May 31;9(6) - "Over a twelve-week period, the test group consumed dairy yogurt containing probiotics each day, whereas the placebo group consumed milk. Natural killer (NK) cell activity, interleukin (IL)-12 and immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 levels were significantly increased in the test group at twelve weeks compared to baseline. Additionally, the test group had significantly greater increases in serum NK cell activity and interferon (IFN)-γ and IgG1 than placebo group" - [Nutra USA]
• The Potential Role of Yogurt in Weight Management and Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes - J Am Coll Nutr. 2016 Jun 22:1-15 - "Yogurt possesses unique properties, including its nutritional composition; lactic acid bacteria, which may affect gut microbiota; and food matrix, which may have a potential role in appetite and glycemic control ... Potential mechanisms of action of yogurt include an increase in body fat loss, decrease in food intake and increase in satiety, decrease in glycemic and insulin response, altered gut hormone response, replacement of less healthy foods, and altered gut microbiota ... The relative energy and nutrient content and contribution of a standard portion of yogurt to the overall diet suggest that the percentage daily intake of these nutrients largely contributes to nutrient requirements and provides a strong contribution to the regulation of energy metabolism"
• Yogurt consumption and abdominal obesity reversion in the PREDIMED study - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2015 Dec 12 - "consumption of whole-fat yogurt was associated with changes in waist circumference and higher probability for reversion of abdominal obesity. Therefore, it seems that whole-fat yogurt has more beneficial effects in management of abdominal obesity in elderly population at high cardiovascular risk"
• Dairy Consumption Lowers Systemic Inflammation and Liver Enzymes in Typically Low-Dairy Consumers with Clinical Characteristics of Metabolic Syndrome - J Am Coll Nutr. 2015 Nov 23:1-7 - "This was a randomized study in which participants consumed low-fat dairy (LFD) (10 oz 1% milk, 6 oz nonfat yogurt, 4 oz 2% cheese) or a carbohydrate-based control (CNT) (1.5 oz granola bar and 12 oz 100% juice) for 6 weeks ... Participants had lower concentrations of both hepatic alanine aminotransferase (p < 0.05) and aspartate aminotransferase (p < 0.005) after the LFD period. No significant changes in any of the plasma inflammatory compounds were found when all data were analyzed together. In contrast, expression of IL-1b and IL-6 were reduced by 46% and 63%, respectively, compared to the control period ... We conclude that three dairy servings per day improved both liver function and systemic inflammation in subjects with MetS"
• Longitudinal association of dairy consumption with the changes in blood pressure and the risk of incident hypertension: the Framingham Heart Study - Br J Nutr. 2015 Sep 23 - "incident hypertension (HTN) ... Greater intakes of total dairy foods, total low-fat/fat-free dairy foods, low-fat/skimmed milk and yoghurt were associated with smaller annualised increments in SBP and a lower risk of projected HTN incidence. However, with the exception of total dairy foods and yoghurt, these inverse associations with HTN risk were attenuated as the follow-up time increased. For yoghurt, each additional serving was associated with 6 (95 % CI 1, 10) % reduced risk of incident HTN. Total dairy and total low-fat/fat-free dairy intakes were found to be inversely related to changes in DBP. Dairy consumption, as part of a nutritious and energy-balanced diet pattern, may benefit BP control and prevent or delay the onset of HTN"
• Consumption of Yogurt, Low-Fat Milk, and Other Low-Fat Dairy Products Is Associated with Lower Risk of Metabolic Syndrome Incidence in an Elderly Mediterranean Population - J Nutr. 2015 Aug 19 - "dietary habits by a 137-item validated food-frequency questionnaire, and blood biochemistry determinations ... median follow-up of 3.2 y ... the comparison of extreme tertiles of dairy product consumption were 0.72 (0.61, 0.86) for low-fat dairy, 0.73 (0.62, 0.86) for low-fat yogurt, 0.78 (0.66, 0.92) for whole-fat yogurt, and 0.80 (0.67, 0.95) for low-fat milk. The respective HR for cheese was 1.31"
• Associations between Yogurt, Dairy, Calcium, and Vitamin D Intake and Obesity among U.S. Children Aged 8-18 Years: NHANES, 2005-2008 - Nutrients. 2015 Mar 3;7(3):1577-93 - "Yogurt intake was associated with lower total fat and saturated fat intakes and body fat as measured by subscapular skinfold thickness"
• Yogurt consumption, weight change and risk of overweight/obesity: The SUN cohort study - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2014 Jun 15 - "Participants were classified in 5 categories of yogurt consumption at baseline: 0-2, >2-<5, 5-<7, 7 and ≥7 servings/week. Outcomes were: 1) average yearly weight change during follow-up; and 2) incidence of overweight/obesity. Linear regression models and Cox models were used to adjust for potential confounders. After a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 1860 incident cases of overweight/obesity were identified. A high (>7 servings/week) consumption of total and whole-fat yogurt was associated with lower incidence of overweight/obesity [multivariable adjusted hazard ratios = 0.80 (95% CI: 0.68-0.94); and 0.62 (0.47-0.82) respectively] in comparison with low consumption (0-2 servings/week). This inverse association was stronger among participants with higher fruit consumption"
• Probiotic supplementation for respiratory and gastrointestinal illness symptoms in healthy physically active individuals - Clin Nutr. 2013 Oct 10 - "Four hundred and sixty five participants (241 males; age 35 ± 12 y (mean ± SD) and 224 females; age 36 ± 12 y) were assigned to one of three groups: Group 1 - Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bl-04 (Bl-04) 2.0 × 109colony forming units per day, CFU per day, Group 2 - Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bi-07 (NCFM & Bi-07) 5 × 109 CFU each per day) or Group 3 - placebo mixed in a drink ... The risk of an upper respiratory illness episode was significantly lower in the Bl-04 group (hazard ratio 0.73; 95% confidence interval 0.55-0.95; P = 0.022) compared to placebo. There was no significant difference in illness risk between the NCFM & Bi-07 group (hazard ratio 0.81; 0.62-1.08; P = 0.15) and the placebo group. There was a 0.7 and 0.9 month delay in the median time to an illness episode in the Bl-04 and NCFM & Bi-07 groups respectively compared to placebo (placebo 2.5 months; Bl-04 3.2 months; NCFM & Bi-07 3.4 months). There were insufficient GI illness episodes for analysis" - See Bifidobacterium animalis products at iHerb.
  • Activia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - "Activia products thus contain Bifidobacterium animalis DN 173,010, a proprietary strain of Bifidobacterium, a probiotic which is marketed by Dannon under the trade names Bifidus Regularis, Bifidus Actiregularis, Bifidus Digestivum and Bifidobacterium Lactis" - See my yogurt recipe which is made with Activia on my yogurt page.
• Dairy Foods and Dairy Protein Consumption Is Inversely Related to Markers of Adiposity in Obese Men and Women - Nutrients. 2013 Nov 20;5(11):4665-4684 - "We sought to examine relationships between energy, protein and calcium consumption from dairy foods (milk, yoghurt, cheese, dairy spreads, ice-cream) and adiposity including body mass index (BMI), waist (WC) and hip circumference (HC), and direct measures of body composition using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (% body fat and abdominal fat) in an opportunistic sample of 720 overweight/obese Australian men and women ... Overall dairy food consumption (g/day) was inversely associated with BMI, % body fat and WC (all p < 0.05). Dairy protein and dairy calcium (g/day) were both inversely associated with all adiposity measures (all p < 0.05). Yoghurt consumption (g/day) was inversely associated with % body fat, abdominal fat, WC and HC (all p < 0.05), while reduced fat milk consumption was inversely associated with BMI, WC, HC and % body fat (all p < 0.05). Within a sample of obese adults, consumption of dairy products, dairy protein, and calcium was associated with more favourable body composition"
• Dairy products and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Aug 14 - "searched the PubMed database for prospective cohort and nested case-control studies of dairy product intake and risk of type 2 diabetes up to 5 June 2013 ... the summary RRs (95% CIs) were 0.93 (0.87, 0.99; I2 = 33%) per 400 g total dairy products/d (n = 12), 0.98 (0.94, 1.03; I2 = 8%) per 200 g high-fat dairy products/d (n = 9), 0.91 (0.86, 0.96; I2 = 40%) per 200 g low-fat dairy products/d (n = 9), 0.87 (0.72, 1.04; I2 = 94%) per 200 g milk/d (n = 7), 0.92 (0.86, 0.99; I2 = 0%) per 50 g cheese/d (n = 8), and 0.78 (0.60, 1.02; I2 = 70%) per 200 g yogurt/d (n = 7) ... This meta-analysis suggests that there is a significant inverse association between intakes of dairy products, low-fat dairy products, and cheese and risk of type 2 diabetes" - Note:  Yogurt was the most protective at .78 per 200 grams.  200 grams is 7 ounces.
• Effects of synbiotic food consumption on metabolic status of diabetic patients: A double-blind randomized cross-over controlled clinical trial - Clin Nutr. 2013 Jun 7 - "This randomized double-blinded cross-over controlled clinical trial was performed among 62 diabetic patients aged 35-70 y. After a 2-wk run-in period, subjects were randomly assigned to consume either a synbiotic (n = 62) or control food (n = 62) for 6 weeks ... The synbiotic food consisted of a probiotic viable and heat-resistant Lactobacillus sporogenes (1 × 107 CFU), 0.04 g inulin (HPX) as prebiotic with 0.38 g isomalt, 0.36 g sorbitol and 0.05 g stevia as sweetener per 1 g. Control food (the same substance without probiotic bacteria and prebiotic inulin) was packed in identical 9-gram packages. Patients were asked to consume the synbiotic and control foods three times a day ... In conclusion, consumption of a synbiotic food for 6 weeks among diabetic patients had significant effects on serum insulin, hs-CRP, uric acid and plasma total GSH levels" - Note:  I not sure whether they are talking about probiotic supplements added to the food or something like yogurt.  See probiotic products at Amazon.com and my yogurt recipe at the top of my Yogurt Page.
• Effects of low-fat or full-fat fermented and non-fermented dairy foods on selected cardiovascular biomarkers in overweight adults - Br J Nutr. 2013 Jun 12:1-8 - "In a randomised cross-over study, twelve overweight/obese subjects consumed during two 3-week periods two full-fat dairy diets containing either yogurt plus cheese (fermented) or butter, cream and ice cream (non-fermented) or a low-fat milk plus yogurt diet, with the latter being consumed between and at the end of the full-fat dairy dietary periods ... In conclusion, short-term diets containing low-fat dairy products did not lead to a more favourable biomarker profile associated with CVD risk compared with the full-fat dairy products, suggesting that full-fat fermented dairy products may be the more favourable"
• Cholesterol-lowering efficacy of a microencapsulated bile salt hydrolase-active Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 yoghurt formulation in hypercholesterolaemic adults - Br J Nutr. 2011 Nov 9:1-9 - "Over the intervention period, subjects consuming yoghurts containing microencapsulated L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 attained significant reductions in LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) of 8.92 % (P = 0.016), total cholesterol (TC) of 4.81 % (P = 0.031) and non-HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) of 6.01 % (P = 0.029) over placebo, and a significant absolute change in apoB-100 of - 0.19 mmol/l (P = 0.049). Serum concentrations of TAG and HDL-C were unchanged over the course of the study. Present results show that consumption of microencapsulated BSH-active L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 yoghurt is efficacious and safe for lowering LDL-C, TC, apoB-100 and non-HDL-C in hypercholesterolaemic subjects. The efficacy of microencapsulated BSH-active L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 yoghurts appears to be superior to traditional probiotic therapy and akin to that of other cholesterol-lowering ingredients"
• A Diet High in Low-Fat Dairy Products Lowers Diabetes Risk in Postmenopausal Women - J Nutr. 2011 Sep 21 - "After multivariable adjustment, low-fat dairy product consumption was inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. RR was roughly 0.5-0.6 in the upper quintiles compared with the lowest quintile (median servings/d, 2.8 in the 5th quintile and 1.5 in the 4th quintile vs. 0.05 in the first quintile; P-trend < 0.001). The inverse relationship was more pronounced in women with a higher BMI. High yogurt consumption was associated with a significant decrease in diabetes risk, whereas there was no relationship between high-fat dairy product consumption and diabetes risk"
• Increased Consumption of Dairy Foods and Protein during Diet- and Exercise-Induced Weight Loss Promotes Fat Mass Loss and Lean Mass Gain in Overweight and Obese Premenopausal Women - J Nutr. 2011 Jul 20 - "Weight loss can have substantial health benefits for overweight or obese persons; however, the ratio of fat:lean tissue loss may be more important. We aimed to determine how daily exercise (resistance and/or aerobic) and a hypoenergetic diet varying in protein and calcium content from dairy foods would affect the composition of weight lost in otherwise healthy, premenopausal, overweight, and obese women. Ninety participants were randomized to 3 groups (n = 30/group): high protein, high dairy (HPHD), adequate protein, medium dairy (APMD), and adequate protein, low dairy (APLD) differing in the quantity of total dietary protein and dairy food-source protein consumed: 30 and 15%, 15 and 7.5%, or 15 and <2% of energy, respectively. Body composition was measured by DXA at 0, 8, and 16 wk and MRI (n = 39) to assess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume at 0 and 16 wk. All groups lost body weight (P < 0.05) and fat (P < 0.01); however, fat loss during wk 8-16 was greater in the HPHD group than in the APMD and APLD groups (P < 0.05). The HPHD group gained lean tissue with a greater increase during 8-16 wk than the APMD group, which maintained lean mass and the APLD group, which lost lean mass (P < 0.05). The HPHD group also lost more VAT as assessed by MRI (P < 0.05) and trunk fat as assessed by DXA (P < 0.005) than the APLD group. The reduction in VAT in all groups was correlated with intakes of calcium (r = 0.40; P < 0.05) and protein (r = 0.32; P < 0.05). Therefore, diet- and exercise-induced weight loss with higher protein and increased dairy product intakes promotes more favorable body composition changes in women characterized by greater total and visceral fat loss and lean mass gain"
• Effect of functional yogurt NY-YP901 in improving the trait of metabolic syndrome - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011 Jun 22 - "This study was aimed to assess the beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome of functional yogurt NY-YP901 (Namyang Dairy Product Co. Ltd and Nutra R&BT Inc., Seoul, Korea) supplemented with mixture of Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium infantis and extra-ingredients containing Bifidobacterium breve (CBG-C2), Enterococcus faecalis FK-23, fibersol-2 and so on ... In the treatment group consuming NY-YP901, statistically significant beneficial changes were observed in body weight (treatment group vs control group=-0.24+/-1.50 vs +0.64+/-1.39 kg, P<0.05), BMI (-0.10+/-0.58 vs +0.24+/-0.50 kg/m(2), P<0.05 ) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (-7.71+/-14.14 vs -0.43+/-15.32 mg/dl, P<0.05) after 8 weeks. The change in other parameters was not different between the treatment and the control groups.Conclusions:The functional yogurt NY-YP901 reduced LDL-cholesterol, body weight and BMI in the subjects at a 300-ml consumption daily for 8 weeks. From these findings, regular intake of functional yogurt NY-YP901 may be consequently related to improve metabolic syndrome" - So how does that compare as far as active culture to what you actually be able to buy in a local store in the U.S.:
  • Activia Ingredients - livestrong.com - "Activia has Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus and Bifidobacteria lactis, also known as Bifidobacteria regularis"
• Association between yogurt, milk, and cheese consumption and common carotid artery intima-media thickness and cardiovascular disease risk factors in elderly women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 May 25 - "Total dairy product, milk, and cheese consumption was not associated with CCA-IMT (P > 0.05), whereas yogurt consumption was negatively associated with CCA-IMT (unadjusted standardized β = -0.081, P = 0.008; baseline risk factor-adjusted standardized β = -0.075, P = 0.015). Participants who consumed >100 g yogurt/d had a significantly lower CCA-IMT than did participants with lower consumption (unadjusted = -0.024 mm, P = 0.002). This relation remained significant after adjustment for baseline, dietary, and lifestyle risk factors (multivariable analysis = -0.023 mm, P = 0.003) ... Increased consumption of yogurt, but not of other dairy products, is associated with a lower CCA-IMT, independent of other risk factors"
• Dairy consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of cohort studies - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011 May 11 - "A combined RR of 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.79-0.92) was revealed on T2DM risk associated to dairy intake, with little evidence of heterogeneity. For subgroup analysis, a combined RR was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.74-0.90), 1.00 (95% CI, 0.89-1.10), 0.95 (95% CI, 0.86-1.05) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.74-0.93) for the intake of low-fat dairy, high-fat dairy, whole milk and yogurt, respectively. Dose-response analysis showed that T2DM risk could be reduced 5% for total dairy products and 10% for low-fat dairy products. Conclusion: An inverse association of daily intake of dairy products, especially low-fat dairy, with T2DM was revealed, indicating a beneficial effect of dairy consumption in the prevention of T2DM development"
• Yogurt consumption and risk of colorectal cancer in the italian EPIC cohort - Int J Cancer. 2011 May 23 - "Yogurt intake was inversely associated with CRC risk. For the energy-adjusted model, HR for CRC in the highest vs. lowest tertile of yogurt intake was 0.62 (95%CI, 0.46-0.83). In the full model adjusted for energy, simple sugar, calcium, fiber, animal fat, alcohol, and red meat intake, as well as body mass index, smoking, education and physical activity, HR was 0.65 (95%CI, 0.48-0.89) in the highest vs. lowest tertile. The protective effect of yogurt was evident in the entire cohort, but was stronger in men, although there was no interaction of sex with the yogurt-CRC association (P-interaction 0.20, fully-adjusted model). In this prospective study, high yogurt intake was significantly associated with decreased CRC risk, suggesting that yogurt should be part of a diet to prevent the disease"
• Cultured milk, yogurt, and dairy intake in relation to bladder cancer risk in a prospective study of Swedish women and men - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Oct;88(4):1083-7 - "Total dairy intake was not significantly associated with risk of bladder cancer [> or =7.0 servings/d compared with < 3.5 servings/d: multivariate rate ratio (RR) = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.15; P for trend = 0.33]. However, a statistically significant inverse association was observed for the intake of cultured milk (sour milk and yogurt). The multivariate RRs for the highest category of cultured milk intake (> or =2 servings/d) compared with the lowest category (0 serving/d) were 0.62 (95% CI: 0.46, 0.85; P for trend = 0.006) in women and men combined, 0.55 (95% CI: 0.25, 1.22; P for trend = 0.06) in women, and 0.64 (95% CI: 0.46, 0.89; P for trend = 0.03) in men. The intake of milk or cheese was not associated with bladder cancer risk ... These findings suggest that a high intake of cultured milk may lower the risk of developing bladder cancer"
• Effects of ingesting Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt in subjects with colonized Helicobacter pylori - Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Sep;80(3):737-41 - "Regular intake of yogurt containing Bb12 and La5 effectively suppressed H. pylori infection in humans"