Activia by Dannon

[Ammy]

So, do you think this yogurt will help...um..."cleanse" the intestines or is it bunk??

Has anyone tried it? I see the Light version has 10ecc. I could use a bit more calcium/dairy along with the suppose other benefits of eating it...

Is it worth it??

http://www.dannonactivia.com/

[Mitra]

I think the idea of cleaning the intestines is pretty dubious. Have you read Dr Mike' views on the subject? The gist is that intestines are pretty clean anyway, which is what the anatomy professor who taught on a few of the yoga courses I've attended said, too. And she said she'd seen thousands.

Other than that, I think any live yogurt would have much the same benefits, so I'd go with buying whatever kind of plain live (full fat) yogurt you enjoy, and adding the flavour you want - flavoured syrup, cooked or raw fruit or berries, nuts & seeds... I don't suppose Dannon is worse than any other brand, but why would you want to pay for all that advertising?

[Ammy]

Yeah, I hear you, and thought the same thing...
but I am a person who could benefit from more fiber, and no matter how much I consume, it never seems to be enough...
And yes, I drink an enormous amount of water as well.

I did read The Road to Wellville and laughed at their frequent enema's as did Dr Mike, but I did a search on his blog and didn't see that he commented specifically on Activia, did he?

I just was hoping that maybe it MIGHT do some good...can't seem to make plain yogurt taste good enough for me to eat so I look for lc flavored versions...and thought I might get an extra benefit if I chose this one...:o

[Mitra]

I don't think Dr Mike commented on Activia, just on the idea that colons are dirty and need cleaning.

I think any live yoghurt would have the same benefits as this one - and my personal position would always be that I'd rather add my own flavouring, because it will be better than anything the manufacturers would use, but if you like theirs, or if it's more convenient to buy it ready done rather than doing it yourself, then get any live yoghurt that hasn't had lots of carbs or other undesirables added. The Dannon one is probably fine, I'm just not at all convinced that it's any different from any other live yoghurt.

[maxlharris]

Amy,

I'm curious as to why you feel you need the fiber? Is it a "keep things moving" thing? Or is it a "heart health, it's the right thing to do" thing? If it's A, then take a magnesium supplement and quit worrying about the fiber. If it's B, you need to fix your head. Even Gina Kolata of the NYTimes says you don't need the extra fiber, and she's a low fatter.

On the main question, Activia: Like Mitra said, active culture is active culture, so there's no guarantee that Activia is gonna do anything for you that another live culture yogurt isn't already, flavorwise, money wise, or any other wise. Try it if you want to, but to expect much is to prepare for disappointment on this one.

[Ammy]

It's A...definitely NOT B.

I have tried many different forms of fiber to help keep things moving (my mother who has the same issues has found banana's to be the food that always works for her:confused:)...but haven't heard of a Magnesium Supplement. I get some (I don't know how much) in my multi-vitamin, but will look into this.

I had a feeling this Activia claim was bunk, but am always hoping for some new breakthrough in this area...

I hear you both, and believe you...it's bunk...wishful thinking on my (and the Dannon promoters) part...

I might try it anyway (or some yogurt with lower ECC) just because I COULD use some more dairy and it sounds like there ARE benefits from the cultures of yogurt in general...but I won't plan on any MAJOR CHANGES to the digestive tract with this one.

Thanks guys!

[Mitra]

I eat yoghurt most days and haven't noticed any effect at all on my digestion/elimination. If that's your concern, as Max says, magnesium should help (magnesium citrate, or malate are the forms to look for). Not to mention its many other benefits - enough that it gets a whole chapter in PPLP.

[Ammy]

I don't have that PP book - PPLP...looks like I need to go to the bookstore, huh?

Thanks!

[Gaelen]

Ammy, it's always worth reading PPLP...however, the short version why taking magnesium supplements cna also encourage 'keeping things moving' --

Milk of Magnesia is often used as a laxative...and its main active ingredient is (you guessed it!) -- magnesium.

I can't take it at all because of its laxative effects; there is no supplemental dose that doesn't affect me and I dehydrate too quickly to risk it. So I have to get all of my magnesium in small doses in natural foods...but if you feel the need for a laxative effect, trying adding a mag supplement. ;)

[laughingW]

One other downside of Dannon yogurt is that it's really over-sweetened. So you could be cranking your sweet taste buds up to whoopee.

Just my opinion. I like to get plain whole fat yogurt and then do unsweetened fruit puree to mask that "tang." That way I control how sweet it is.

[hogweed]

My girlfriend suffers from constipation, and found that taking one of these before bed has enabled her to halve the dose of laxatives she’s been taking for years and years. However, when I take them, they have no effect. But then, I’m never constipated... it does seem to be an individual thing. She saw results from Day 1, so it wouldn't cost you much to try.

[jjamiex]

I try to stay away from commercial yogurts, other than plain. Processed milk with who knows what in it, fat removed, and other stuff you don't want to eat.

I make my own kefir which is GREAT for the intestines - not necessarily cleaning them out but balancing your flora, regulating you, and the immune system. It's got tons more bacteria and also yeasts (good ones) than yogurt.
If I were going to buy something, it would be Lifeway Kefir, plain, and make a smoothie out of it.