Actimel review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Actimel by Danone. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this yoghurt-based drink with added live cultures.
Actimel is available in many supermarkets and food stores in the UK.
You might also be interested in reading our article on the best probiotics in the UK if you want to add more healthy microbes to your diet.
Ingredients of Actimel
Actimel is essentially a yoghurt-based drink with various additives - some artificial.
The specific ingredients are yoghurt (milk), water, skimmed milk, stabiliser (pectin), milk minerals concentrate, sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame K), flavourings, Lactobacillus casei (L. casei Danone®) and vitamins D and B6.
The only ingredients which may cause concern are the two sweeteners which are both artificial. Research on sweeteners and the gut is ongoing, but current evidence is mixed and regulatory bodies consider both of these sweeteners safe within normal intake levels.
In case you were wondering, milk minerals concentrate is simply a concentrated source of the minerals found in milk such as calcium and phosphorus.
And pectin is a plant-derived gelling fibre commonly used to give products like yoghurt drinks a thicker, more stable texture. It helps keep the mixture uniform so the liquid doesn’t separate, and it improves mouthfeel without adding fat or sugar.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Benefits of Actimel
Live cultures
Actimel includes Lactobacillus casei (L. casei Danone®) which is a proprietary strain used by Danone. This strain has been included in various research studies, but findings are mixed and do not support any specific health claims.
There are 20 billion live cultures in each shot.
Actimel would also presumably include yoghurt starter cultures (to make the yoghurt base), however no information is given on this.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are beneficial substances produced by live cultures during fermentation. In yoghurt, these can include small amounts of organic acids, peptides and other fermentation by-products.
Vitamins and minerals
This drink includes milk minerals concentrate which boosts levels of calcium and phosphorus. Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth and also supports normal muscle function. Phosphorus contributes to normal bones and teeth and helps with the normal release of energy from food.
It also contains added vitamins D and B6 which contribute to the normal function of the immune system.
Nutrients
Protein: It has low to moderate protein levels for a yoghurt at 2.7%.
Fat: It has extremely low fat levels at 0.1%.
Sugar: The sugar content is moderate at 3%.
Calcium: It has moderate calcium levels of 120mg per 100g.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it has a yellow-y milk appearance.
Texture
The texture is quite runny and more similar to milk (or water) than yoghurt.
Flavour
The aroma is like a flavoured yoghurt.
The taste is quite bland, watery and slightly lemony. It’s not overly sweet though which I was expecting from the sweeteners. There’s also a slight chalkiness to it. And the acidity is moderate.
Overall, the taste is neither satisfying or offensive. Best to just take it down fast.
Cost of Actimel
We bought an 8-pack of 100g bottles for £3.75 from Morrisons.
Review summary
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Actimel is a yoghurt-based drink with added live cultures. The taste is forgettable but the price is reasonable.
Pros
very low in fat
fortified with vitamins and minerals
price per bottle is reasonable
contains 20 billion live cultures…
Cons
…but there’s only one strain of live cultures listed
various additives, including artificial sweeteners
underwhelming flavour
Now read our article about the best probiotics in the UK!
Factors we consider in our ratings
The factors we consider when doing a review (and the weightings of each of these) may vary depending on the product we are testing, but here are the key general factors we consider when we settle on a rating for a product.
Health benefits
We find out how the product will be good for your health and outline the benefits for you in simple language. This often involves doing research so you don’t have to. We often link to scientific studies or articles summarising scientific findings so you can dig deeper if you want to.
Things detrimental to health
We want to highlight where a product might include something bad for your health - even if the product might be good for you in another way. This could include such things as pointing out certain additives it contains or high sugar levels.
How it’s made
This will vary depending on the product, but we want to see a quality process for making it and quality ingredients. For example, we want to see a kombucha traditionally fermented with lots of different microbial strains and we want to see a yoghurt made with fresh milk and not milk powders.
Price
While we expect quality products to be more expensive, they still have to be priced within reason. On the other side of things, a product which is priced very competitively will get a ratings boost based on the value it provides.
Flavour
For some products flavour won’t be a factor (eg probiotic tablets), but for others, like yoghurt or kimchi, flavour is a key aspect because these products are made to be enjoyed as well as being healthy! We will try to be as subjective as possible and describe the flavour in detail so you can get an idea of whether you would like it or not.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Your reviewer
This review was written by Travis, founder of Hello Gut Health.
A long-time gut health writer and advocate with over ten years of experience exploring the science of the microbiome and fermentation.
He combines careful research with practical testing to help readers make informed, trustworthy choices.
He has reviewed over 150 gut health products.
Related articles
