What is Yakult?

Yakult is fermented milk, which is rich in probiotics. Probiotics are the good bacteria that abound in trillions in our gut.

Bacteria! But bacteria cause disease don’t they?

It is a widespread myth that all bacteria cause disease. In fact, of all the bacteria that are present in the human body (and there are hundred trillion of them outnumber human cells by a ratio of 100 is to 1!),  85% of them are the so-called good bacteria. Only 15% are the harmful bacteria that can cause disease if they increase in number, or they become more potent.

Good bacteria are beneficial and help us in a myriad of ways. They feast on and digest the fiber in the body and the by-products are responsible for:

• Appetite and obesity: Many factors control satiety. One of the byproducts of bacterial digestion of dietary fiber plays a vital role in deciding when we have had enough to eat and whether we are hungry enough to want another meal.
• Glucose metabolism & diabetes: We derive glucose from many sources. The production, storage, and utilization of glucose are tightly regulated. If the regulation goes haywire, we end up with diabetes. Bacterial byproducts also help in fine-tuning glucose metabolism.
• Killing colonic cancer cells: Almost all cells in our body are constantly dividing and growing again. Sometimes abnormal, cancerous cells form. The body quickly identifies and kills these cells before they can take root and grow. Bacterial byproducts help in this process of killing cancerous cells from our gut.