Benefits of probiotic yoghurt overestimated

Health value added by „probiotic“ Hard to recognize yogurts

24/09/2013

More and more consumers resort to so-called „probiotic“ Yogurts that promise a strengthening of the body's defenses and better intestinal activity. What sounds so promising on the packaging, however, does not correspond to reality in many cases. Instead, there is hardly any health value added.

Benefits for the immune system and intestinal activity remain unclear
Probiotic yogurt is becoming more and more popular. Many consumers trust the promises on the packaging and expect health benefits from eating. To what extent yoghurts with microorganisms actually have a positive effect on the immune system and the intestinal activity, remains unclear and is often simply overrated according to the Rostock professor of medicine Andreas Podbielski: „Unfortunately, we do not know which people benefit from what and why, "said Podbielski in the run-up to the 65th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology in Rostock, to which around 600 international experts are expected.

Yoghurts with microorganisms can not replace reasonable therapies
Although the medical benefits of yoghurts with microorganisms according to Podbielski would be difficult to understand, he would also advise patients with a disturbed intestinal flora in part to consume such products. This is almost harmless for everyone: „With very few exceptions, such as severe mucosal dysfunction, you can not go wrong“, Podbielski continues. According to the experts, however, a serious therapy can not be replaced by probiotic dairy products, because "if one wants to treat probiotics reasonably one day, then that will no longer be a matter for the supermarkets." Instead, doctors and pharmacists would have to take control of it in order to avoid side effects and overdoses resulting from self-treatment.

Eco-test certifies: Not all products „without fault and blame“
The skepticism about probiotic yoghurts is not new. Already in 2009 came the consumer magazine „Eco test“ to the conclusion that not all products „without fault and blame“ are:„Even assuming that taking certain probiotic yoghurts will statistically shorten the duration of colds or alleviate diarrhea, that does not mean that everyone will respond equally.“ According to Professor Knut J. Heller of the Max Rubner Institute in Kiel, an assessment of the added benefit for health is difficult, because "the studies only say something about the group of subjects tested, never about the individual consumer.“

Dutch researcher disproves health benefits of „Activia“ Uncertain skepticism about probiotic yoghurts was also highlighted last year by the Health Committee in the European Parliament, which banned all manufacturers from promoting their products in the context of health benefits.

The critics are getting confirmation by more and more studies that like the effect of the products „Danone Activia“, „Danone Actimel“ or „Nestlé LC1 Pur“ question. The nutritionist Martijn Katan from the Netherlands already had the product in a research project in 2008 „Activia“ examined in more detail, „a yoghurt product with the probiotic bacterium Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010.“ The background: The manufacturing company „Danone“ had advertised in the Netherlands, „Activia promotes bowel movements“. But as the researcher in a journal article „PubMed“ write, have it for this statement „not enough scientific evidence“ where: „No significant effect of Activia on the frequency, amount or consistency of stools was reported except in a subset of 19 out of 267 patients.“ (No)

Image: Medienleiter / markus leiter