What are the side effects of drinking the popular Yakult Probiotic drink.

1. Yakult probiotic drink side effects
By Probiotics Expert: Dr. Raga

2. What is Yakult probiotic?
 Yakult is a probiotic drink made from
the fermentation of milk that
contains beneficial bacteria which
are scientifically proven to reach the
intestines alive and in adequate
amounts.
 A bottle of yakult has about 6.5
billion cells of the probiotic
strain, Lactobacillus casei
Shirota, which was discovered by
Dr. Minoru Sirota.
 The product name “Yakult” came
from the Esperanto word for yogurt
which is “jahurto”. However, yakult is
not a yogurt product but rather a
skimmed fermented milk drink.

3. Yakult Ingredients
 Yakult’s standard ingredients are Sugar
(sucrose, dextrose), skimmed milk
powder, natural flavors and water.
 One bottle contains 6.5 billion CFUs of
Lactobacillus casei Shirota.
- Lactobacillus: The term lactobacillus
comes from two Latin words, lactose
(milk) and bacillus (small rod). This is a
kind of rod-shaped bacteria which is
commonly used in the production of
dairy products.
- casei: Derived from the Latin word
which means “cheese”. This term
reflects the association of the specie to
dairy products.
- Shirota:Taken from Yakult’s
founder, Dr. Shirota
These ingredients are not my favorite. I do

4. What does Yakult do?
 Yakult is a probiotic drink which is formulated with
billions of live and active beneficial bacteria.
Naturally, the digestive tract has trillions of various
kinds of bacteria. Some of these bacteria are
useful to the body while others are harmful.
 Probiotics are defined to be live microorganisms
which cause health benefits to its host when taken
adequately.
 Probiotics like Yakult help to replenish the
digestive system’s supply of good bacteria. When
the good bacteria in the gut are balanced to the
bad ones, the body becomes better in fighting off
these disease-causing microorganisms. This
allows balance in digestive system which overall

5. Yakult Health Benefits
 Yakult provides the body with 6.5 billion live cells
of Lactobacillus casei Shirota.
 This probiotic strain which is acid resistant can
survive the passage through the stomach acid
and bile acid in the process of digestion. As these
beneficial bacteria reach the intestines, these
have the ability to alter the balance between the
good and bad bacteria found there. This balance
is essential to keep healthy digestive and immune
systems.
 Lactobacillus casei Shirota performs a lot of vital
roles in the body. These are neutralizing the
detrimental effects caused by the substances
from harmful bacteria, normalizing the balance of

6. Yakult Scientific Basis
 In a study published in the World Journal of
Gastroenterology, the effects of Yakult in the
reduction of small intestinal bacteria overgrowth were
tested by Peter Gibson and his colleagues.
 Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
commonly occurs in a condition called irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS). This is also most likely the culprit
behind the symptoms of the mentioned digestive
disorder.
 In the study, it has shown that Yakult can alter the
process of fermentation patterns. This means that it
has a significant effect to the reduction of SIBO.
 The study was conducted on 14 patients of IBS who
have undergone the treatment for 6 weeks.

7. Who may take Yakult?
 Almost everyone can take Yakult. It is recommended
for adults as well as children. For infants and
toddlers, it is advised to have Yakult slowly
incorporated to their diet by having small amounts
first, then, gradually increasing up to 1 bottle.
 It may also be consumed by people who are lactose
intolerant since Yakult only contains small amounts of
naturally –produced milk sugar (lactose).
However, those who have severe cases of lactose
intolerance should consult the doctor first.
 Diabetic people may also include Yakult in their daily
diet as long as they discuss with their physician on
how much they could take on a daily basis.

8. Yakult Suggested Use
 Regular consumption of Yakult is recommended.
Ideally, it should be taken by 1-2 bottles everyday.
 For adults, 1-2 bottles are advised to be taken
daily, usually either during or after eating.
 In children, an intake of 1 bottle a day is
suggested.
 While in infants over 8 months and toddlers, 1
bottle daily is also advisable. However, Yakult
should be slowly introduced to diet. Start with
small amount and gradually increase it up to full
bottle.

9. Yakult Side Effects
 Since Yakult is a food product, there is no
side effect that may usually
occurs, however, for those who are just
trying Yakult for the first time, bloating is
commonly experienced within the first week.
This happens as the body tries to establish
normal balance of the intestinal microflora.

10. My Favorite Probiotic
 Probacto is the best probiotic that I have ever
run into. They use multiple strains and they are
spore forming so they can last while not
refrigerated. They do not use cheap
bacteria, but expensive ones such as B. Subtilis.
 Probacto also contains prebiotics to help
stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in
your gut.
 Probacto contains digestive enzymes to assist
with candida die-off.
 Probacto is enteric coated and made to be slow
release so it will release in your gut gradually.

11. Conclusion
 Probiotics have been around for a long period of
time already. Beneficial strains of bacteria were
discovered due to certain processes that led to
their discovery. Although there are already
various strains of bacteria discovered
nowadays, there is still a definite need for more
research to establish further knowledge on how
probiotics work. This is very important because
many probiotic products are appearing in the
market but the scientific proof behind their claims
is mostly lacking.