How to Compare Probiotic Yogurts

The National Yogurt Association at AboutYogurt explains that yogurt is "cultured milk." The culturing process happens when live organisms are added to pasteurized milk to cause it to change into yogurt. The organisms are strains of bacteria that ferment the milk, changing it into a new texture with a unique taste. The bacteria in the yogurt remains unless destroyed in a heat treatment performed after fermentation. AboutYogurt also explains that "probiotics" is the name for the remaining bacteria, the kind that is considered to be healthy or "good" bacteria.

Instructions

• 1

  Visit the dairy aisle of your local grocery store. Plain, flavored, fat-free, sugar-free, and other varieties of yogurt all have the potential for being "probiotic" yogurt as long as the bacteria used to make them was not destroyed. Look at your options and choose a few that list strains of bacteria in the ingredients list. USProbiotics provides some common strain names like lactobacillus casei and acidophilus.

• 2

  Check the label for a seal that reads "Live and Active Cultures." Packaged yogurt may not necessarily say "probiotic" because yogurt is inherently probiotic unless put through heat treatment. The National Yogurt Association at AboutYogurt explains that in order for yogurt to have the seal, it must have 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture. The seal is voluntary; if there is no seal, the yogurt may still have the required number of probiotics, but you cannot know for sure. If the seal is present, the yogurt is qualified as probiotic.

• 3

  Identify your needs. If you are searching for probiotic yogurt with a particular strain of bacteria for a particular health need, determine which yogurt has the probiotic seal and which has the strain you are looking for, the other nutritional content requirements you want, and the flavor you like. If you are looking for a yogurt with as many strains as you can find, compare ingredients lists and buy the one with the most listed bacteria types. If you are looking for organic yogurt or particular nutritional content (such as calories, carbohydrates, protein), then compare the live cultures and the nutrition information to determine which yogurt best fits your needs.

• 4

  Rely on your tastebuds. If you find a lot of choices, then do a simple taste test. Buy the yogurts that appeal the most to you and try them. You may find several varieties that meet your qualifications for the probiotic content for which you are searching.