Benefits of Bifidus Regularis

Bifidus Regularis is a probiotic, a microorganism that helps regulate the digestive system. Dannon sponsored the research to identify and cultivate this unique probiotic culture. It is found exclusively in their Activia line of products.

Good Bacteria

• Bifidus Regularis belongs to a group of bacteria found in the human digestive tract called probiotics. The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations define probiotics as "live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host." Probiotics are commonly referred to as "good" bacteria, because they have been shown to positively affect the digestive process when consumed in the appropriate amounts. Probiotics are found in fermented foods and cultured milk products such as yogurt, tempeh and kefir.

How Do Probiotics Help?

• Probiotics have been shown to have an alleviating--not necessarily curative--effect on various health conditons. This effect is most noticeable when probiotics are introduced into the subject's diet early--before the full onset of a problem. The report from a 2005 conference co-funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), and convened by the American Society for Microbiology, stated that evidence supporting certain formulations of probiotics for use to treat specific ailments existed. The evidence supported the use of probiotics to treat several conditions including diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, urinary tract infections in women, and eczema in children.

What Makes Bifidus Regularis Special?

• Bifidus Regularis can only be found in the Dannon Activia product line. Dannon selected this probiotic for addition to their Activia line, because it survives passage through the digestive tract and into the colon. This allows the beneficial qualities of Bifidus Regularis to effectively support the entire digestive process.

Benefits

• Consumption of Activia yogurt by Dannon, which contains live and active Bifidus Regularis cultures, helps regulate the digestive system. A slow intestinal transit time and the discomforts that often accompany it, bloating and gas, can be an indicator of constipation. Activia yogurt has been clinically proven to decrease intestinal transit time in people who eat it daily. Its beneficial effects usually become apparent in two weeks or less when consumed daily as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

  Activia yogurts and dairy drinks come in portable containers and bottles and are available at most retail grocery stores. The yogurts and drinks provide the healthy benefits of dairy---high calcium and protein content. A single serving of Activia yogurt or dairy drink contains 15 to 20 percent of the recommended Daily Value of Calcium and 5g to 11g of protein.

Bifidus Regularis Products

• A variety of products are available in Dannon's Activia line. Dannon currently offers their original Activia brand yogurt, a high fiber fruit and cereal yogurt, and a cultured milk drink. Products also come in a variety of flavors: vanilla, peach, strawberry and mixed berry.

Some Things to Consider

• Although the claimed benefits of Bifidus Regularis are desirable, there are some facts that should be kept in mind prior to using the products. The consumption of Activia products has been linked to diarrhea, intestinal discomfort and gas. Activia products also has a rather high sugar content at 17 to 25g of sugar per serving (the light yogurt product contains 8g of sugar). The supporting evidence for the efficacy of the Dannon Activia line is based on company generated research.