Mmm, very interesting. I would like to hear more before making a judgment. I am really interested to hear what Dannon has to say. It's one thing to not know, it's completely another thing to lie.

But isn't it proven that the active cultures (bifidus regularis) aid digestion? it stands to reason that if Activia has more active cultures then it will work better, right? I like this stuff and I like the flavor so I don't see any harm in continuing to eat it.

For real!?!?!
I dunno, I have never tried this stuff. I heard that it makes you spend A LOT of time sitting on the can and yea I don't really like the idea of that...not appealing to me.

Interesting.

Fitsugar, you may already know this, but you can take a probiotic supplement. You don't have to ingest it from enhanced yogurt. "Prevention" magazine came out with the article of top probiotic supplements. One of the supplements named was Culturelle, which I'm taking. I've only taken this supplement for a couple months. So far, so good.

Hope this helps.

BOO! Well I will still buy it because it's really the only yogurt I like. I like the flavor, and like you Fit I like the smaller size.

If you want to try a great yogurt go for Stonyfield Farms. They are also organic and taste wonderful. Also have good bacteria. And no high fructose corn syrup.

That's LAME! I love this yogurt! It doesn't have as much sugar as a lot of yogurts and the small size is perfect for me! I may stick with it just because I like it better than a lot of yogurt out there, I take a probiotic twice a day anyway.

I'm really not all that surprised...

I bought it once, because I am not regular at all, and after the four-pack, I realized it wasn't all I wanted it to be, and that I'd be better off finding "real" yogurt and eating more roughage, as it would be much cheaper.

Doesn't Dannon use HF corn syrup? I used to buy their yogurt until I looked at the label and realized how much crud there is in it.

I never really bought it so I am not surprised. I guess if your diet was really bad than it may have an affect but I always thought it was stupid and only bought it when it was on sale.

Nah I'll keep buying Activa Lite. Any group of yahoos can get together and file a Class Action Lawsuit over advertising claims. There are not claiming that the product is harmful only that Danon cannot prove like any other yogurt company out there that probiotics actually do the things they claim the in advertising the do and that using such claims in the advertising is false or misleading.

All I know is like like yogurt, the Activa Lite is reasonable good, as you said comes in those small packs and from me is low-cal with a good amount of protein and low in sugar.

I do pay attention to commercials for consumer products because they all are slight exaggerations anyway.

For Bella - It doesn't have HFCS it has plain old Fruit Sugar in the form of syrup in it.

From the label:
CULTURED GRADE A REDUCED FAT MILK, STRAWBERRY, FRUCTOSE SYRUP, SUGAR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 1% OF FRUCTOSE, WHEY PROTEIN CONTENTRATE, CORN STARCH, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, KOSHER GELATIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, CARMINE (FOR COLOR), SODIUM CITRATE, MALIC ACID.

Okay ladies (and gents)... here we go!

1. ALL yogurt contains live, active cultures which aid in digestion.

2. Dannon (and all others for that matter) claims that theirs is better because it contains Bifidus regularis (or whatever other strain they name)... are you kidding me? This is just a lab-cultured strain of Bifidiobacterium spp. that is already found in all yogurt!!! This is very misguiding.

3. Basically, dont go for the hype. Most of these strains (that supposedly help digestion) are already found in your intestines anyway. There is a CORRELATION between eating activia and better digestion because people who tend to eat yogurt also eat generally healthier food. There is no CAUSATION between the specific activia strain and better digestion. Any yogurt will do this because of what is naturally found in it. Save your money and go for whatever you like! Eat that for a few days and you will get the same effects!

Hope this helped some of you to understand the difference (and lack of truth) and happy eating!

Later!

I suffered through eating this crappy yogurt for weeks thinking it would help regulate my digestive track and now we come to find it doesn't even do ANYTHING EXTRA?!?! WTF! This stuff seriously tasted like crap and the texture was awful, I used to eat it like I was taking a shot, just swallow whole and take a deep breath after. It's nice to know it was worth it. Not.

If you go to your local helath food store they have the live supplement. Eat the Activia if you like it, and just go get the supplement. It's cheap. When I was breastfeeding and he had to take antibiotics I always used it. Some are in pill for and others are in powder. I bought the powder and sprinkled it on his baby food. The supplement is beneficial for almost anyone... Ask them for the probiotics Make sure you buy the refridgerated kind

Shame on them!!

I recommend Stonyfield Organic Yogurt. I get it in packs of six at my grocery store for less than you would pay for six things of Yoplait, so in comparison it's very affordable.

Sadly it only comes in two packages with two flavors: Blackberry/Vanilla, and Peach/Strawberry.

Thank you, taratootie! It was about time someone said it!

Yay...! I am glad someone found my random knowledge useful. The masters in Microbiology all seems worth it now... lol. No really though, I love to dispense what I can, when its useful!

There is a big problem with yogurts constantly advertising the benefits of their "helpful bacteria" or probiotics. Probiotics are restore the balance in your intestines by knocking out the "bad" bacteria. The problem is this: bad bacteria feeds on sugar (and simple carbs that convert to sugar) and all of these yogurts have sugar! So although you may be adding "good" bacteria to your intestines, you're also providing food to keep the bad ones alive. The best kind of yogurt is plain, greek yogurt which is very low in sugar and still has live and active cultures.

-Emily
from the

There is a big problem with yogurts constantly advertising the benefits of their "helpful bacteria" or probiotics. Probiotics are restore the balance in your intestines by knocking out the "bad" bacteria. The problem is this: bad bacteria feeds on sugar (and simple carbs that convert to sugar) and all of these yogurts have sugar! So although you may be adding "good" bacteria to your intestines, you're also providing food to keep the bad ones alive. The best kind of yogurt is plain, greek yogurt which is very low in sugar and still has live and active cultures.

-Emily
from the Healthy Eating Blog

not at all surprised...someone could get priobiotics from a reliable health/holistic dr. and make a better choice

Oh wow...I like this yogurt and have bought it several times! I've been buying the Yoplait version of these lately though.

I've been using this yogurt religiously.. it really works for me! Maybe thus far its been a placebo effect but I'm still buying it!

So interesting, I just bought some today, it was a sale at my grocery store. 4 packets of 4 for 7.00.

Boourns. I bought a twenty four pack yesterday. I do like how it tastes though...but I love pretty much all yourt.

I've never been a big Dannon fan. Like Bella, after reading the label I was turned off...

Sometimes all of the totally lame lawsuits in this country make me ashamed to be in law school. I mean, even if their claims are doubtful, or just unproven, or whatever, do people really have to sue? What a completely worthless waste of time over a couple extra dollars. Get a life.

I tried this while I was taking antibiotics. It made me so bloated and gassy!!

I'm a yogurt lover and have looked at Activia closely to see if it offered anything extra, but it really did turn out to be the same (if not also less tasty) as every other yogurt. Personally, I like LaYorgurt, as Dannon tastes like plastic to me.
Also, if it's digestion and your intestinal tract you're worried about, taking Acidophilus (any healthfood or vitamin store will have it) is the best way, despite its taste ().

I don't like added ingredients in my yogurt, and I hate how sweet Dannon and Yoplait taste. I'll stick to my Fage yogurt, its the best yogurt I've ever had.

I don't really care about the lawsuit!
1) It tastes great!
2) It IS beneficial for your health (as all yoghurts are)
3) It is natural, meaning it has non of that E### stuff you find in some other yoghurts
4) It has my favorite flavor! Yummy yummy prunes!!!

UGH! I feel so cheated!

I don't know about beneficial to your "health" but I disagree with taratootie's statement "There is no CAUSATION between the specific activia strain and better digestion". This yogurt DEFINITELY helps digestion, far more than other brands I've tried. If you're having trouble, um..."going", I swear this will help within a day. Regularly eating Activia made me extremely regular. Sorry for the gritty details but I think that's their intent!

Marileejean...Taratooties comment regarding correlation vs causation IS correct...in theory NOTHING has been shown to CAUSE anything...not even, say (just using this for an example) cigarettes and lung cancer...all that data can show is that there APPEARS to be a stong correlation between people who smoke and cancer (perhaps its smoking coupled with a few other factors that causes cancer). There are too many other factors (age, genetics, lifestyle) for anyone to conclusively say ANTYHING CAUSES something else. If --again same example--smoking DID cause cancer, than ANYONE who ever picked up a cig would immediately get cancer. So there are other things at play. (No doubt that cigs DRAMATICALLY increase your risk of cancer though!) Does this yogurt perhaps show a strong CORRELATION between the bacteria and better digestion? Sure thing. But there is no way anyone can concluseively prove anything CAUSES something else.

I buy this yogurt all the time...I initially tried it because of the "health benefits" but I actually just really like they way it tastes...I'll continue to buy it, regardless of whether or not it has actual health benefits. I just really like it

My opinion is that if you cut out dairy and eat healthy then you won't need help in that uhh.. area anyway.

Shortly after this product appeared on the market I read an article stating that the cultures used in the study were administered at over twice the amount daily to invoke the effect that Dannon was claiming. So essentially you would have to eat at least two of the cartons per day to feel any real benefit.

I do like the taste of these, but that's really just because of the high sugar content. As with a lot of other single-serving yogurts out there, there is way more added sugar than necessary.

Bella, and everyone else who commented on the high sugar content, I read somewhere that one small bottle of Yakult... the original probiotic yogurt drink... contains 8 spoons of sugar!! Apparently the cultures that are added to them are so unbelievably foul tasting that they require that much sugar to mask the taste.

Not such a great, healthy way to start your day after all. You might as well treat yourself to a pastry and a latte instead!

Okay, I just looked up the sugar content for the Activa Lite and Yoplait Lite and the Activa comes in at 9g and the Yopliat at 14 (and it's 2 oz more in serving size). It's 17 & 27 respectively for the regular versions. I realize that all the more 'natural' varieties have less sugar, but I don't know why everyone is knocking the sugar on the Activa when the Yoplait is about the same. The Stonyfield Lite is 24, regular 26. Mountain High comes in at 28 for Lite and 27 for regular. It's also probably the difference between sugar alcohol and regular sugar? I'm just sayin'...

I say, eat lowfat or nonfat PLAIN yogurt with added REAL fruit or jelly. It's better for you without all that sugar and processed junk. I, for one, eat non fat yogurt with some walnuts.

I like Breakstone's Live Active cottage cheese. It's definitely not too sweet. I can't bring myself to like yogurt, unless it's the plain, unsweetened variety.

I always stick to plain non-fat yogurt, and keep a supply of fruits and berries that I like to throw in with a tablespoon of honey. One of my favorite snacks!

Marileejean... I stand by my statement, but what I meant for you to take away from that is that ALL yogurt is beneficial for your digestive flora. If it is out of whack, any yogurt will help you! Dannon's claim about B.regularis being BETTER than any other strain of bactaria is bunk though. Its just a lab strain they toyed with to patent the name... a different way to market something to the consumer. It wont hurt you, but you will waste a few bucks! The important thing is that anyone IS eating yogurt, which is a good source of good bacteria, calcium and protein! If you find one that you like and works for you then eat up!

I tend to stick with my lowfat, plain stuff and add some fruit and buckwheat honey or agave nectar. Mmmm... well now that I think about it I should tell you all that homemade yogurt is **awesome**!!! Keep an eye on my profile and I should have pics of making it up in a few days!!! Happy eating.