Bifidus digestivum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bifidus Digestivum, also known as Bifidus Regularis, Bifidobacterium Lactis, Bifidus Essensis, Bifidus Imunitass, and Bifidus Activo, is an additive in Activia Yogurt.
These are trade names of the Bifidobacterium animalis strain number DN 173 010, registered by the Danone company (known as Dannon in the US), used in their product range Activia. The strain is marketed as Bifidus Digestivum (UK), also known as Bifidus Regularis (US), Bifidobacterium Lactis (Canada), Bifidus Essensis (Germany and Austria) and Bifidus Activo (Spain).
It is important to stress that these are not scientific names but trade names designed to sound and look like scientifically named organisms. In scientific classification, an organism is assigned a two-part name consisting of genus and species. The genus is listed first (with its leading letter capitalized), followed by the species as the second term (all in lower case). For example, humans belong to the genus Homo and are the species sapiens; both terms are written in italics. In contrast, the two words of these trade names are both written with their first letters capitalized and never in italics but rather in bold type. Note that in Quebec, Canada, the name is Bifidobacterium lactis in italic, which means it should be a scientifically named organism.
The trade name of this bacterium is one of the most well-known probiotics on the market today, due to extensive marketing campaigns. Opinion is divided about the benefits of live yoghurts - while some consumers seem to gain relief from using this product, others see results from no change to chronic diarrhea.
According to the yogurt's packaging it contains the unique live culture Bifidus Digestivum™, "clinically proven to help improve digestive transit when eaten every day".
[edit] Sources
- Berrada N., et al. Bifidobacterium from fermented milks: Survival during gastric transit. J. Dairy Sci. 1991; 74: 409-413
- Pochart P, et al. Survival of bifidobacteria ingested via fermented milk during their passage through the human small intestine: an in vivo study using intestinal perfusion. Am. J Clin Nutr 1992; 55:78-80
- Arunachalam K.D., et al. Role of bifidobacteria in nutrition, medicine and technology. Nutrition research 1999; Vol 19, 10: 1539-1597
- C. Picard, et al. Review article: bifidobacteria as probiotic agents - physiological effects and clinical benefits. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2005; 22:495-512
[edit] External links
- Bifidus Digestivum - A deconstruction of the terms Bifidus Digestivum, Bifidus Regularis, L. Casei Imunitas and their variants, as well as the marketing strategy, and information about the potential health benefits of live yogurts.
- Manufacturer's web page on the product
- PDRHealth.com - An explanation
- Academy Health - A short description
- Food-Info.net - How to select a probiotic
