What's the amount of probiotics in Activia or probiotics pills?

Answer 1

There are many determining factors.

First with Activa.

Well, any probiotic is better than none.

Actually lets define Probiotic: for readers not familiar with this term.

Probiotics are live microorganisms (typically bacteria) which are healthy for the host, or in this case the human digestive tract. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: "Live microorganisms which when administered in ADEQUATE amounts confer a health benefit on the host"

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but, in fact, there are over 2,000 various good floral bacteria that are good sources of Probiotics, as each can fulfill a different purpose.

Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements.

Etymologically, the term appears to be a composite of the Latin preposition pro ("for") and the Greek adjective βιωτικός (biotic), the latter deriving from the noun βίος (bios, "life").

At the start of the 20th century, probiotics are known to beneficially affect the digestive tract by improving its intestinal microbial balance, thus inhibiting pathogens and toxin producing parasitic bacteria.

Today, specific health effects are being investigated and documented including alleviation of chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases, prevention and treatment of pathogen-induced diarrhea urogenital infections, and atopic diseases.

According to scientific studies, the good bacteria, or intestinal flora is killed off by antibiotics and the preservatives that are present in the food we eat.

Preservatives are antibiotics that are added to food stuffs to lengthen shelf life.

Now Back to your question:

Activa is a brand name yogurt touted for its contents of added probiotics, and marketed as a healthful food product.

Probiotic content is scientifically measured by the counting of "colonies"

The more colonies of bacteria the more effective the product will be.

The Auctiva website states that the organism Bifidus Regularis is added to help with regular bowel movements, and if fact yes, it will help, but due to the low actual colony counts it will take eating a large volume of this yogurt to realize these effects.

Again This is only ONE specific type of probiotic and as stated above there are over 2,000 various good bacteria that are termed probiotic.

Concerning Probiotic pills this is a whole other animal. This is due to the many different marketers of these pills, and all have their own formula of probiotic and colony strength. You would need to investigate each one of them for specific details as to species of bacteria, and actual colony counts included.

Another question to ask is: What Is The Filler Material Used In The Pills?

example: a 400 mg capsule could only contain as little as 30 mg of actual probiotic and the remainder would be classified as "other" or "inactive" ingredients which should worry you.

In closing, the most important fact is that when you consume probiotics in a form that is not protected from the hydrochloric acid, and digestive enzyme pepsin of the stomach such as in yogurts, or non-enteric coated capsules as much as 90% of the probiotic is hydrolyzed, and destroyed.

Answer 2

The specific amount of probiotics in Activia yogurt or probiotic pills can vary depending on the brand and product. It is usually measured in colony-forming units (CFUs) per serving, ranging from millions to billions. It's important to check the product label for this information.