Short answer
Yakult is very good for your immune and digestive system, helping restore the balance of good gut bacteria. However, with a high sugar content, it isn't the best thing available.
Recommended Alternative
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Yakult is a probiotic drink that aims to restore the balance of good bacteria in the gut, promoting a healthier digestive system and improved immune system. Its ingredients are water, skimmed milk powder, sugar, natural flavors, and 6.5 billion Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota. Before discussing the good and bad about Yakult, a word of caution: People who are lactose intolerant or have an allergy to milk should avoid this product full stop.
Ok, first the good news. Yakult's bacteria is the good kind which lowers pathogenic bacteria and increases digestive health by improving stool consistency and reducing the time it takes for stool to exit the body. Furthermore, it helps boost immunity, leading to a lower risk of disease/illness.
Unfortunately, though, Yakult is not as healthy as it perhaps could be. First of all, skimmed milk powder is milk that has been "skimmed" of its healthy fat content. Also, Yakult contains a fairly high amount of sugar - 11.4 grams. Consuming too much sugar can lead to obesity and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In the short-term, too much sugar can give a sugar rush, which lasts for a short time and leads to an inevitable "crash" in which you feel even worse than before.
Two other problems with Yakult come from it undergoing ultra heat treatment and the fact that it is packaged in plastic bottles. Ultra heat treatment (or UHT) lowers the nutritional content by killing milk proteins and has been suggested by some studies to possibly lead to autoimmune diseases. Much research has been dedicated around the topic of plastics leaching into our foods and data indicate that this leeching may harm our reproductive and endocrine systems and well as possibly increase the risk of some forms of cancer.
So, is it bad? Although Yakult may be beneficial when it comes to maintaining digestive and immune system health, the large amount of sugar combined with risks of plastic contamination may outweigh the benefits - especially over the long run. If you do choose to drink Yakult, we recommend doing so in moderation.
Possible short-term side effects
Possible long-term side effects
- autoimmune disease
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obesity
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type 2 diabetes
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heart disease
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cancer
Ingredients to be aware of
Benefits
- improves immune system
-
reduces risk of infectious disease
-
improves digestive health
Healthier alternatives
Our Wellness Pick
(what is this?)
Goodbelly Probiotics Juice
- 20 Billion Probiotics
- Raspberry Blackberry flavor
- Supports digestive health
- 32 Fl Oz per bottle
- 6-pack bundle
Learn More!
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Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Jeff Volling
Published on: 02-07-2016
Last updated: 12-15-2023
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Jeff Volling
Published on: 02-07-2016
Last updated: 12-15-2023
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