Can yogurt protect you from the flu?
Q. I recently read about a study showing that probiotics protected kids from getting the flu. It seemed like a pretty powerful study in favor of the health benefits of yogurt, at least in kids. Do you have any recommendations for a reasonable "dose" of yogurt would be for an adult?
A. Yes, I noted that study with interest as well. The kids (about 300 of them, aged 3 to 5) were taking probiotic supplements or placebo pills twice a day. The kids getting the probiotics had about half as many fevers, coughs, and runny noses, took fewer prescriptions and missed fewer days of school.
We should note that the study was funded by a company that makes probiotic products. That said, the results were published in a peer-reviewed journal (Pediatrics) so the study design apparently passed muster.
There's no RDA for probiotics for kids or adults so it's hard to say what a good"dose" might be. Most probiotic supplements contain 10 to 20 billion active cultures per dose at the time of manufacture. Yogurt that carries the "Live and Active Cultures" seal is certified to contain at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture, which translates into about 22 billion live cultures in an eight ounce cup of yogurt.
So, I'm thinking that a single serving of yogurt every day would be a reasonable start for kids and adults. But the amount of sugar (often high fructose corn syrup) in sweetened yogurts is shocking. I'd advise you to steer clear of sweetened (and artificially-sweetened) yogurts and go for the plain yogurt. Sweeten (if you must) with fruit or a drizzle of honey.
Can yogurt protect you (or your kids) from getting the flu this season? Might help and can't hurt (unless you're lactose intolerant).
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Posted by: Astrid | Oct 29, 2009 5:46:00 AM
I believe it is not the youghurt that is probiotic but the lactic bacteria that is produced during lacto fermentation of the milk. Yet not only youghurt is lacto fermented. Sauer kraut or Korean kimchi are examples of lacto fermented vegies. In my search for a way to store vegies without having to freeze them I read many sites on lactofermented vegies which was THE way of storing food before the fridge. According to what I read in many sites one tablespoon of lacto fermented vegies contain as much probiotic bacteria as one liter of yoghurt. I also read that asiatic birds suffering from the avian flu got better when they ate kimchi. In my own experience I serve lacto fermented carrot juice to my daughter every day, and she didn't have one day of sick leave last year which was her first year of school. And I myself eat home made lacto fermented carrots dayly and sometimes if I feel I'm coming down with something I take an extra boost and I never really get sick.
Posted by: elninotheblog | Oct 5, 2009 5:23:53 PM
Yoghurt is not a miracle food - please cut it out. It helps nothing and has been pushed at the women of this country and their children as some sort of new discovery. All dairy products do is elevate blood sugar rapidly like any other high-energy/low-nutrient food that you consume.
Also it has been sold lately as assisting with digestion and regularity. This is in the context of the grain-crusted, sugar-infused, bean-buffered, canola-clogged digestive tract you have now. Yuck don't add yoghurt!
Posted by: Emma | Sep 26, 2009 2:57:11 AM
While i agree that this is getting out of hand, i think your ideas about vaccines are a tad off. sure, we have vaccines for the flu. but they take quite a while to make in any large quantity. the pharmaceutical companies start R&D for the yearly vaccines far in advance by using flu strain forecasting techniques. they then stockpile vaccines, hopeing they forecasted correctly. if they didn't we'd run short while they tried to catch up (happened a few years back, actually).
i've honestly been too busy with work to follow along more than cursorily with this swine flu thing, so i don't know what our vaccine situation is. my guess, however, is that we don't have the optimum vaccine for it, since it's a strain that jumped species (pretty tough to prepare for, since it can happen out of nowhere). however, given the mortality rate here in the US, i'm not worrying myself overly. just head to the doctor when you start getting symptoms and chances are you'll be just fine.
regime
Posted by: Susan Lowell | Sep 18, 2009 12:05:19 PM
I discovered your podcast yesterday, loaded it into the iPOD and have been learning tons of new stuff about nutrition. My diet is much better already. But you are improving it. Thanks.
As a 66 year old, I also appreciate your worldly wise viewpoint that not all diets work for each person. Have gone on several diets and then gradually gain the weight back. Each diet was healthier than the previous, though.
What impresses me is the discussion of scientific studies. They always have to be an important part of nutrition discussions.
Posted by: Dave | Sep 17, 2009 10:40:05 PM
Anecdotally (with some clinical support), Vitamin D has been far and away the best flu prevention for our family. Used to have the kids in the doctor's office monthly during the winter with fever, ear infections, etc. Since giving them Vitamin D, nothing, not even a fever above 100.
Monica's Response: Here's an interesting paper on potential downside to vitamin D supplementation. http://autoimmunityresearch.org/transcripts/AR-Albert-VitD.pdf
Posted by: Contemporary Troubadour | Sep 17, 2009 8:28:40 PM
A really great yogurt I've found is the Greek-style Fage (which you can get in full-fat, 2% and fat-free versions). Absolutely no added sugars, and lower in sugar than even the plain regular-style yogurts out there if you have to watch your carbs. I flavor mine with fresh fruit.
Posted by: Mooreganics | Sep 17, 2009 5:14:05 PM
It is my understanding that the probiotics in yogurt are all killed off from the heat to process the yogurt you find at most stores. Our family takes a Probiotic Superfood mixed with juice daily and I double (sometimes triple) my intake when I feel a cold/illness coming on. I believe this has been a big contributing factor to our lack of colds for almost a full year. Cultured foods are also a huge plus too.
Monica's Response: Some yogurt is heat treated but any yogurt marked with the "Live and Active Cultures" seal (and there are plenty) is certified to contain 100 million active cultures per gram. More information at the National Yogurt Association website; http://aboutyogurt.com/index.asp
Posted by: Fat Bob | Sep 17, 2009 4:46:25 PM
Yogurt doesn't contain lactose, does it? I thought that the bacteria consume it.
Monica's Response: the bacteria consume some of the lactose but not all. (The longer it's been fermented, the less lactose it contains.)
Posted by: Mandy | Sep 17, 2009 3:23:01 PM
I'm really glad that there is someone like you around to help us wade through the mounds of nutritional information and bogus claims made by companies with agendas. Keep up the good work!! =)
