You may wash your hands frequently and use disinfectant wipes to ward off harmful bacteria, but not all bacteria are bad for you. One example is the Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria, which is naturally present in your gastrointestinal tract and mouth. These bacteria love to live in lactose-filled environments like milk and yogurt, producing sweet acidophilus milk products, which have a distinctive taste. In addition to a sweet taste, the acidophilus bacteria may offer some benefits to your overall health.
Products
Sweet acidophilus is a label you may see on milk and yogurt products. While the taste of acidophilus-containing products can vary based on manufacturer, they tend to have a buttermilk-like consistency and a sweet flavor, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Preparation
To create sweet acidophilus milk, a manufacturer starts with low-fat or non-fat milk and adds the bacterial culture Lactobacillus acidophilus and heats the milk until milk curd forms. The milk is then tested to ensure it reaches a desired acidity. The milk is then refrigerated, and the cool temperatures suspend the acidophilus bacteria to keep the bacteria from growing further. Because the bacteria does not completely ferment, it is called sweet acidophilus milk because it takes on a sweet taste. Fermented acidophilus milk has a more biting, tart taste, according to Eat Wisconsin Cheese.
Lactose Intolerance
If you are lactose intolerant, you lack an enzyme that helps you break down lactose, a protein in milk products. Sweet acidophilus milk contains lactose just as traditional milk products do, meaning if you are lactose intolerant, sweet acidophilus milk may cause symptoms like gas and abdominal discomfort as other milk sources do. However, the bacteria may improve lactose digestion in certain people, particularly if you consume it with a meal, according to Eat Wisconsin Cheese.
Benefits
The acidophilus bacteria contained within sweet acidophilus milk products are considered probiotics. These are healthful bacterial sources designed to offer benefits like improving digestion. Your body relies on bacteria living in your digestive tract to break down foods in your stomach. By adding probiotics like acidophilus to milk and yogurt, you can potentially experience positive effects like reducing irritable bowel syndrome and reduce the incidence of intestinal infections, according to MayoClinic.com. However, the yogurt cultures must be labeled as "live" or "active" cultures to prove effective. While probiotics may affect people differently, MayoClinic.com dietitian Katherine Zeratsky calls the potential benefits of probiotic bacteria "encouraging."
References
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lactobacillus Acidophilus; Faro Jones; July 1999
- Anderson Erickson Dairy; 1% Sweet Acidophilus Lowfat Milk Nutrition; 2008
- Eat Wisconsin Cheese: Yogurt
- Purity Dairies: What Is Acidophilus
- MayoClinic.com; Probiotics: Important for a Healthy Diet?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; April 2010
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