Monday, May 12, 2008

Compare Activa with Nature's Life Probiotic

There is a lot of media hype about products containing probiotics for health. If you are wondering about the healthful benefits of products such as Activa or a similarly marketed product, wonder no more. These products are full of chemicals and pasteurized dairy, which does not help digestion as claimed by advertisements. In fact, prolonged use of products such as this one will create more problems than it will solve such as candida overgrowth, blood sugar disorders or Diabetes, as well as heart disease.

For healthy, probiotic support from a reputable product, try Nature's Life Green Apple Pro 96 Acidophilus. On this link, you can read a complete list of ingredients. This product is completely natural, contains no dairy, and also includes important enzymes for digestion from plants like papain, oat fiber, bromelain, spirulina, kelp, chlorophyll and barley grass as well as amino acids.

Here is a list of ingredients in Activa by Dannon:

Cultured grade A reduced fat milk, strawberry, fructose syrup, sugar, modified corn starch, contains less than 1% of fructose, whey protein concentrate, kosher gelatin, natural flavor, carmine (for color), sodium citrate, malic acid.

The average container of Activa contains 13 grams or higher of sugar and reduced fat milk which is unhealthy to consume because it is not a whole food. With all the other chemicals in this product, it's a wonder customers are unable to see it for what it is and have been convinced this product is actually a health food. In addition, anything with "modified food starch" should be avoided, as this substance adds nothing to the nutritional value of the food and is toxic as it comes from genetically altered corn.

In general, store bought yogurts are a health hazard and should be avoided as they are generally processed and are not whole foods. Any yogurt that you do intend to consume should be as natural as possible, and be made from organic, full-fat milk. There should be little to no added sugars, colors, or other substances in the product as those negate any health benefits you might gain from eating yogurt in the first place.

Other good natural, whole foods to obtain probiotic benefit from include the following:
  • Raw, cultured organic butter from grass-fed cows
  • Raw, organic milk from grass-fed cows
  • Raw, organic cheese from grass-fed cows
  • Miso soup with bacteria that has not been pasteurized
For an in-depth article about good probiotic choices, visit Agriculture Society.

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