Yogurt used to be so simple. It was sweet, creamy and and often had some chunky fruit on the bottom of that cute little plastic cup to stir into it. There were lots of flavors but really only one kind of yogurt widely available. After a while there were lower calorie yogurts available made with lowfat milk and artificial sweeteners but that was the extent of \u201cyogurt diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Within the last couple of years, however, there\u2019s been a sort of, \u201cyogurt explosion\u201d in the marketplace. Now we\u2019re hearing a whole new yogurt vocabulary, including, \u201clive and active cultures,\u201d \u201cprobiotics\u201d and \u201cGreek\u201d yogurt. Some yogurts seem fancy and exotic while others seem to be considered health food. With so many yogurt choices, how do you know which to buy?<\/p>\n
Live and active cultures<\/strong> are the living microorganisms (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) that, during the fermentation process, turn milk into yogurt. No matter what the package says, it\u2019s not really yogurt unless the product specifically states that it contains, \u201clive and active cultures.\u201d These are believed to be associated with health benefits such as preventing gastrointestinal infections, boosting the immune system, fighting certain cancers and preventing osteoporosis.<\/p>\n Probiotics<\/strong> is a term for these living microorganisms (or \u201cgood\u201d bacteria\u201d) that provide a health benefit when consumed in adequate amounts. Many probiotics provide benefit to the body by adjusting the natural balance of organisms in the intestines, or by acting directly on body functions, such as digestion or immune function. Yogurts can contain a variety of probiotics, depending upon the brand. Therein lies the major difference between yogurts.<\/p>\n