Myths about yoghurt and probiotics abound. To help dispel the misinformation and myths, here are the seven most common myths about yoghurt you need to know. It’s not our intention to bash yoghurt, only to present it in an accurate light.
Myth 1. All yoghurts are healthy: Not all yoghurts are healthy. Some are downright disgusting and contains more sugar than doughnuts. Some yoghurts are full of additives, colours and gums to thicken them and are best avoided altogether.
Myth 2. All yoghurts contain beneficial probiotics: Many yoghurts are heated during the manufacturing or shipping process and no longer contain the “live cultures” they claim to on the label. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to find out whether the yoghurt you buy contains live cultures other than to take a heaping tablespoon of it, add it to warm milk or milk substitute, and leave it to rest for six to eight hours. If you have a new batch of yoghurt from your experiment, then you know the original yoghurt you purchased contains live cultures. Otherwise, it probably doesn’t.
Myth 3. Yoghurt is the best source of probiotics: Not even close. Unsweetened yoghurt with live cultures is healthy and a great addition to any diet, but it isn’t the best source of probiotics by a long shot. There’s sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented pickles, curtido, kefir and miso to name a few — all of which tend to be higher in probiotics and contain many more strains of the good microbes than yoghurt.
Myth 4. Yogurt contains a vast array of probiotic strains: Yoghurt usually contains two or three different strains of probiotics, which depend on the cultures used to inoculate the particular yoghurt you’re buying. Yoghurt usually contains Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and, occasionally, Streptococcus salivarius or Bifidobacteria. Don’t worry: there’s no connection between S. salivarius and the Strep bacteria that makes you sick.
Source: care2.com
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