Probiotic Amounts in Kefir and Yogurt : Billions, perhaps Trillions

How Many Billion Probiotics are in your Yogurt / Kefir?

Probiotic Pills Prices are Ridiculous Compared to just consuming Kefir / Yogurt

[Note: this is a followup to my last closely-related article where I consider Healthy Gut Microbes May Prevent Celiac (beneficial bacteria as a defense, perhaps)]

Probiotics are those "beneficial bugs" that exist in vast quantities in healthy gastrointestinal tracts.  I have written other blogs here including a recent one about how Healthy Gut Microbes May Prevent Celiac (and other autoimmune diseases).

With scientific studies, like the one mentioned in that blog, providing further evidence that a healthy digestive tract — aided by probiotics —  may help us avoid and/or improve outcomes for various conditions and diseases, we may find ourselves asking: where can I get the most probiotics for the buck?

The answer is simple: kefirs or yogurts are definitely the most cost-effective probiotic source around, and here's why... (and yes, I am aware that some people may have digestive issues that make "dairy" not sound like a solution they can tolerate... but, read on first and reconsider that point after you see the numbers).

Probiotics in Kefir / Yogurt: Billions (and TRILLIONS) of Probiotics

Redwood Hill Farm Gluten-Free Goat Kefir

To the left I included a picture courtesy of Redwood Hill Farms (brand) Goat-Milk Kefir.  This is a perfect example of a product that is utterly loaded with Probiotics!  From the Redwood Hill Farms web page discussing the "Health Benefits of Goat Milk Kefir", we can obtain information about how many billion priobiotics are in an ounce of Kefir, by extrapolating from this quoted material:

Laboratory testing shows that Redwood Hill Farm brand kefir containing our proprietary blend of probiotics, “Flourish®”  averages 2.6 billion live probiotics per gram!  We use an average as batches can vary slightly and the number of probiotics at the beginning of our products ‘life’ can be slightly more or less than at the end of the products life.

WOW! 2.6 billion probiotics per gram of Kefir!  Did you catch the "per gram" part? Yes, PER GRAM!  That is a TINY amount of Kefir with a HUGE number of probiotics. Keep in mind, there are just over 28 grams per ounce.  Therefore, there are nearly 75 BILLION probiotics per ounce of this Kefir! And, that means that an 8-ounce serving would have nearly 600 BILLION probiotics in it, an a quart container would contain around 2.4 TRILLION probiotics.

Now, compare that to all the probiotic pills on the market!  How many pills would you have to take to equal the amount in an 8-ounce serving of Kefir?  Better yet, what would it cost?! 
A quart of this specialty (Goat milk) Kefir cost somewhere around $6.00 at Whole Foods recently, which means an 8-ounce serving of Goat Milk Kefir cost $1.50 and provides 600 BILLION probiotics with it.

Even if you may have issues with dairy products, are you really sure your body could not handle an occasional ¼ Teaspoon of Goat Kefir that would provide around 3 billion probiotics? There are Twenty-Four (24) ¼ Teaspoon servings per ounce... or, 768 of these ¼ Teaspoon servings of 3-billion-probiotics each per quart!  How much would 768 "3 billion count" probiotic pills cost by comparison?

Probiotic Pills : Billions of Probiotics, at what cost?

Most probiotic pills I have seen at health-food stores and/or online are just ridiculously expensive for the amount of probiotics in each pill / tablet.  One of the better priced ones I have encountered is the gluten-free NOW Foods (brand) Probiotic-10 V-caps with 25 Billion probiotics per capsule and 50 capsules per bottle that sell for somewhere in the range of $16 -$17 on Amazon currently.

This particular NOW Foods gluten-free product has 10 strains of healthful  bacteria (including: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus salivarious, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum, Streptococcus thermophilus ), which is similar to what you would find in many yogurt cultures.

A bottle of these will (theoretically) get you 1.25 TRILLION probiotics in total,  which is about the same amount as you'd get in ½ a quart bottle of that Goat Milk Kefir.  The difference: the Kefir equivalent will cost you only $3.00 versus the $16-17 for the pills.  So, you can save 80%+ by going the Kefir route and just eating a tiny 2 Teaspoons of Goat Kefir per day to get that 25 Billion organisms.

Now, if you absolutely cannot handle any form of dairy (or are a dairy-free / vegan by choice), the NOW Brand pills may be a decent option.  But, remember... keep any pills refrigerated to maintain high potency. THIS IS IMPORTANT, as exposure to heat can kill the beneficial bugs.  And, in fact, this is a reason for concern: if anywhere along the distribution channel (e.g., during shipment, trucking, shelf-stocking, transport, etc) those pills were exposed to a high enough temperature for a long enough period of time, the probiotics that you paid all that hard-earned cash for could be DEAD!  If the probiotic bacteria dies during transport/storage, then you have just paid a fortune for nothingness.

Are your Billions of Probiotics still alive (and effective)?

If you didn't already realize this, there is an easy way to test for whether probiotic bacteria organisms are alive and well.  With yogurt or kefir, this is simple enough... just place a Tablespoon of the yogurt or kefir into a quart of milk and sit that in your oven overnight with ONLY the oven-light on (for the slightest heat-source)... the bacteria should do their job and multiply like crazy and transform the milk into kefir, essentially.  In effect, you are cloning the bacteria in mass numbers, and you can make your own yogurt this way (same principle as a "starter" for sourdough breads).

So, in theory, if the probiotics in your pills/capsules are actually alive and functioning, you could add the (powdered) contents of a probiotic capsule to some quantity of milk and achieve the same outcome (i.e., produce kefir / yogurt).  I cannot say I have personally tried this, not for lack of curiosity, but for the simple fact I prefer getting my probiotics by way of kefir / yogurt instead of costly supplements.  If anyone tries it and wants to post their results here, I'd welcome hearing about your observations.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Healthy Gut Microbes May Prevent Celiac?

Intestinal Microbes Health Help YOUR Health

Those Beneficial "Bugs" In the News Again

I was just reading an article discussing studies by Oregon State University researchers into how gut microbes are closely linked to proper immune system function and other health issues. This may not be "news" to many readers, but it is further confirmation of the importance of maintaining a healthy GI tract — and it sure makes me wonder even more about the potential ill effects of using antibiotics to treat conditions, especially when not needed (since, antibiotics kill off the "good" bacteria in your gut as well as the "bad" bacteria in your body).

[Note: my next closely-related article is about Probiotic Levels in Yogurt and Kefir (billions and trillions of those beneficial bugs!)]

I have written here in the past about other studies connecting antibiotics and celiac disease, and this latest study deepens my concern. As quoted from the article I am referring to,

"In a healthy person, these microbes in the gut stimulate the immune system as needed, and it in turn talks back," Shulzhenko said. "There's an increasing disruption of these microbes from modern lifestyle, diet, overuse of antibiotics and other issues. With that disruption, the conversation [the "crosstalk" between gut microbes and our immune system and metabolic processes] is breaking down."

And, it is not just antibiotics that are brought into question in this study.  How about dirt... or, should I say our lack of exposure to dirt?  Yes, we (modern humans) are probably making things worse by being TOO "clean":

"Appropriate sanitation such as clean water and sewers are good. But some erroneous lessons in health care may need to be unlearned -- leaving behind the fear of dirt, the love of antimicrobial cleansers, and the outdated notion that an antibiotic is always a good idea. We live in a world of "germs" and many of them are good for us."

Our immune systems have developed over the course of human history to function optimally by adapting to natural exposures to varied bacteria (in things like dirt) that modern sanitizing products wipe out (externally).  And, antibiotics are essentially "sanitizers" that wipe out internally-present bacteria (including the plethora of "good" ones that we need to function properly).

Celiac and Other Conditions : the Role of Gut Microbes

The article mentioned Celiac Disease (i.e., autoimmune gluten allergy that requires us to be on a gluten-free diet) as well as other conditions where there is an interplay of gut-microbe-crosstalk and our bodies:

"An explosion of research in the field of genomic sequencing is for the first time allowing researchers to understand some of this conversation [between gut microbes and our immune / metabolic systems] and appreciate its significance, Shulzhenko said. The results are surprising, with links that lead to a range of diseases, including celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Obesity may be related. And some studies have found relevance to depression, late-onset autism, allergies, asthma and cancer."

Seems like more and more evidence is piling up that should make us want to avoid things that destroy the optimal natural internal gut-microbe balance.  And, perhaps (my opinion), we can improve things in the near-term by introducing probiotics into our gluten-free diets and avoiding anything that will further negatively impact our systems.

I like how the article concludes with forward-looking thoughts about probiotics and such:

Once researchers have a better idea of what constitutes healthy microbiota in the gut, they may be able to personalize therapies to restore that balance. It should also be possible to identify and use new types of probiotics to mitigate the impact of antibiotics, when such drugs are necessary and must be used. 

Such approaches are "an exciting target for therapeutic interventions" to treat health problems in the future, the researchers concluded.

Sounds like a good course of research to me!  And, while these people study their "bugs", I will personally continue to avoid antibiotics and antimicrobial products while at the same time enjoying my "bug-filled" (probiotics) in things like kefir, yogurt, etc.  In addition, I think my beneficial bugs much prefer a highly vegetable-laden diet :)

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Yogurt Review / Comparison (Gluten-Free): Voskos vs. Liberte

[by Kate — guest gluten-free blog author] 

GLUTEN-FREE Fig-Flavor Yogurts
Comparison and Review

I must admit that I am a huge fan of figs — I’ve paired fresh ones with goat cheese, poblano peppers, and corn tortillas to make some tasty Quesadillas, I eat them dried, and I love fig flavored yogurt.  Although I enjoy figs in many capacities, as it happens, today I want to talk about that joyous occasion when figs meet my favorite breakfast food, yogurt!

GLUTEN-FREE / FULL-CREAM Liberté Yogurt

I’ve eaten my fair share of Liberte brand Mediterranee Plum and Fig yogurt and their now discontinued Fig and Walnut yogurt.  I had imagined that Liberte, with its extensive line of exotically flavored and ever satisfying flavors, was my only choice for fig flavored yogurt.  But, lone behold, the fig is far more pervasive than I had imagined!


[Mike's Comments]

I have consumed the gluten-free Liberte Plum and Fig yogurt a few times. Quite simply: it is fantastic!  This is one of the best tasting yogurts I have ever had, and it is seriously creamy, rich, and satisfying with a wonderfully balanced and pleasing combination of flavors that come together for near-perfection — I enjoy it more than most ice cream.  This yogurt gives me a great "baseline" by which to compare others, and I am looking forward to trying the Voskos fat-free version after reading Kate's review (since, a fat-free version with fantastic qualities will spare me the cholesterol and calories while still getting my healthy diet probiotics!)


And, now back to her impressions of the Voskos yogurts...

GLUTEN-FREE / FAT-FREE Voskos Greek Yogurt

On an unexpected trip to Whole Foods Market I found myself ogling another variety of fig yogurt, Voskos brand Exotic Fig Greek Yogurt.  While Liberte’s Plum and Fig yogurt has 12grams of fat and 270calories in just one tiny little 6oz  yogurt cup, Vosko’s Exotic Fig yogurt is a non-fat Greek-style yogurt with only 160calories.  Aside from fat content and calorie count, Vosko’s Exotic Fig yogurt also beats out Liberte’s yogurt by having 11grams of protein compared with Liberte’s 6grams, while containing 4% Iron to Liberte’s 0%.

Price and Taste-Test Results

Now, to put it plainly, it’s a bit painful to pay nearly $1.50 for 5.3oz of yogurt, but what a delicious 5.3oz they were!  I absolutely loved the flavor of Vosko’s non-fat, Greek-style fig yogurt!  The yogurt had a distinctly fresh, figgy flavor and the texture enhanced the feeling that I was eating a fresh fig by by incorporating actual fig seeds — something which the Liberte fig yogurt does not do — lending the yogurt that mildly crunchy texture of an actual fig.

Voskos Exotic Fig yogurt felt light and creamy on the palate which, combined with the luxuriant flavor of the fig, made me feel more like I was eating a dessert than a breakfast food with a negligible calorie count and no fat!

GLUTEN-FREE Labeling

Not only is Vosko’s Exotic Fig flavored yogurt tasty as all heck, but their website clearly states that all of their products are gluten-free.  I had wondered if this would be the case because there is no indication that the product is certified gluten-free on the packaging itself, but the ingredient list showed no signs of gluten (which is not always a clear indication that there actually is no gluten, unfortunately).  I was happy, then, when I came home and checked Voskos website and saw clearly stated in the Voskos Yogurt Frequently Asked Questions section that their products are gluten-free clearly.

Now, if only they would just put that gluten-free label directly on their products so we can feel good buying in the moment, rather than having to constantly double-check!

Cultural Revolution Yogurt : Gluten-Free and Awesome!

UPDATE / F.Y.I: "Cultural Revolution" is now re-braned as "Kalona SuperNatural" from Kalona Organics (11/2010)

"Cultural Revolution" brand organic yogurt from Kalona Organics is my current favorite gluten-free yogurt for a variety of reasons, especially the fact that it is has a richness and natural creamy consistency that is outstanding, and this texture is complemented by really wonderful taste : all in a yogurt that is both Low Sugar and Low Carb (and low sodium too)! As I enjoy this yogurt for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner, I feel that the nutrition and beneficial live active cultures are contributing positively to my overall health without introducing unnecessary sugar and sodium.

A quick aside here: Cultural Revolution currently does not specifically label their yogurts gluten-free, so I contacted the company and they provided a statement from the creamery that produces the Cultural Revolution yogurt (Westby Cooperative Creamery, Westby, WI) which indicates the yogurts are definitely gluten-free (see image below). Another bit of good news is that they are currently working to update their labeling to clearly indicate which of their products are gluten-free.

Cultural Revolution Ingredients

(Complete 5% Vanilla Organic Yogurt)

This yogurt really reminds me of some great European yogurts I encountered while in the United Kingdom a couple years ago, with its thick cream-top and gently marbled texture. It is made with organic whole milk and includes the rich, creamy butterfat that naturally contains vitamins A&D too. The ingredients are simply: Organic Cultured Grade-A Milk, Organic Cream, Organic and Natural Vanilla Flavors (Organic Vanilla, Evaporated Organic Cane Juice, Pectin, and Organic Lemon Juice) -- and the Live Active Cultures that include s.thermophilus, l.acidophilus, bifidus, and l.bulgaris (bottom line: an array of "beneficial bacterium" / probiotics to help improve your GI health!)

Cultural Revolution Organic yogurt is available in six flavors in both 2 percent (low fat) and 5 percent. Six ounce flavors include blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, peach, vanilla, and plain. Vanilla and plain also are available in 24 oz sizes. Cultural Revolution is the newest product from Kalona Organics. This true, European-style, organic yogurt uses only the freshest, most natural ingredients, and—here’s the revolutionary part—it delivers naturally sweet, creamy taste without all the sugar, carbs, calories and sodium contained in most other yogurts. In fact, Cultural Revolution has as much as 1/3 less sugar than other yogurts.

Yogurt Comparison:

Cascade Fresh vs. Cultural Revolution

Before encountering the Cultural Revolution brand yogurt, I was consuming Cascade Fresh (Feb-2017: now "Cascade Culture") Fat-Free Vanilla Gluten-Free Yogurt, which was pretty decent yogurt, though I found the sugar/carb content a bit higher than I would have liked. Cascade Fresh is not organic, but is simply labeled "all natural". Cascade has a simple ingredient-list and is full of those probiotics too: Grade A Nonfat Milk (with active cultures s.thermophilus, l.acidophilus, b.bifidum, l. casei, b. longum, b.infantis, and l.bulgaris), Fruit Juice Concentrate, Pectin, Natural Vanilla Flavor. Cascade Fresh actually have a wider-variety of probiotic strains, though I do not know what the difference for your GI tract will be with either brand.

Perhaps it is not a fair comparison from a taste-and-texture standpoint since I am comparing a full-fat yogurt from Cultural Revolution to a fat-free variety from Cascade Fresh, but they just happen to both be yogurts I have consumed and enjoy. For me, the Cultural Revolution Vanilla Organic Yogurt is a hands-down winner over Cascade Fresh Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt, but I cannot always locate the brand at stores near me. In fact, this seems a problem in general with non-mainstream brands... I cannot always locate Cascade Fresh either. But, when I can find it, I will definitely be consuming the Cultural Revolution brand for reasons stated herein.

Nutrition / Statistics

One of my biggest complaints with many (especially "big name" brand) yogurts on the market is the over abundance of added sugars. And the type of sugar is equally important: I absolutely refuse to consume any yogurt that contains high-fructose corn syrup : an ingredient that is blood-sugar unfriendly (to say the least) and absolutely unnecessary. Also, a yogurt MUST have live active cultures in it for me to consider it - otherwise I might as well be eating pudding. Both brands I compared meet my criteria for active cultures and no high-fructose corn syrup, and also has Cultural Revolution presenting with substantially lower sugar levels.

When performing my comparison, I normalized the nutritional-information for the two brands to a 6-ounce serving-size, since Cascade Fresh considers their serving size to be an 8-ounce serving while Cultural Revolution considered their serving size to be 6-ounces.

	Cultural Revolution Vanilla 5% Butterfat	Cascade Fresh Vanilla Fat-Free
Calories:	142	120
Fat (g):	8	0
Total Carbs (g)	13	20
Sugars (g):	10	16.5
Protein (g)	6	9
Vitamin-A (%):	8	0
Iron (%)	2	2
Calcium (%):	22	26
Potassium (mg)	not indicated	412
Sodium(mg)	66	90
My Subjective Rating of Taste/Texture (1-10 Scale : 10 being highest)	9+	7

Summary

I have made this Cultural Revolution Gluten-Free yogurt an integral part of my gluten-free diet lately, as I find it not just pleasing to taste and consume, but it also seems to satisfy me for a nice long period of time after I eat it, and preventing me from feeling hungry and snacking when I should not. These are not just "empty" calories from my experience, but are rather a nice balance of proteins, carbs, and fats. And, the fact that it really tastes great just furthers my reasons for eating it regularly. I highly recommend the product, and hope you have a chance to try it yourself and enjoy it.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.