Danone Activia kefir review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Danone Activia kefir. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this kefir. We’ll also compare some health factors against other popular kefir.
This kefir is available in various supermarkets 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.
About kefir
When most people think of kefir, they’re referring to dairy kefir – a fermented milk drink traditionally made by adding kefir grains (clusters of bacteria and yeast living in natural symbiosis) to milk. The result is a tangy, drinkable dairy product similar to yoghurt but thinner in texture.
Because it’s fermented with a diverse community of microbes, dairy kefir has a distinctive flavour and texture that set it apart from yoghurt. It can be enjoyed on its own or added to cereal, smoothies or dressings. The fermentation process also breaks down much of the milk sugar, giving it a slightly lower lactose content than milk.
There’s also water kefir, made by fermenting a sugar-water solution with water kefir grains – a related but distinct culture from dairy grains. Water kefir is a sparkling, dairy-free drink often flavoured with fruit or herbs. Although it contains different species of bacteria and yeasts, it follows the same natural fermentation process as dairy kefir.
However, many commercial kefirs – both dairy and water – are not made with traditional grains. Instead, they’re produced by inoculating the liquid with a selected mix of bacterial and yeast strains. This method creates a controlled, consistent product but lacks some of the microbial diversity and complexity of true grain-fermented kefir. So it’s worth paying attention to how your kefir is made - and we’ll explore how this particular kefir is made in this review.
Read more about the benefits of kefir and how it differs to yoghurt.
Ingredients of Danone Activia kefir
This kefir has fairly simple ingredients - skimmed milk, cream and live cultures.
It’s not quite 100% traditional kefir as that would include whole milk and not include cream.
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Benefits of Danone Activia kefir
For context, we’ll compare a few key factors against Yeo Valley kefir which is a popular kefir in the UK.
Live cultures
The label states that this kefir is made with ‘authentic kefir grains and Activia’s live cultures’. And the ingredients list states it includes ‘live yogurt and kefir cultures, and yeasts’.
So again, it’s not quite a fully traditional kefir as it includes some inoculation of strains.
Also, it includes 16 strains of live cultures - which certainly isn’t bad for a commercial kefir - but you would expect many more than this if it were traditionally made only with kefir grains.
The label also states these strains include: Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus ssp., Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. It’s worth nothing that most of these strains are more typical of yoghurt than kefir.
So perhaps Danone Activia kefir is best thought of as a yoghurt-kefir hybrid drink.
In comparison, Yeo Valley kefir also contains 14 strains of live cultures.
In terms of the actual amount of live cultures present (usually expressed as colony forming units), both brands don’t give any specific information on this.
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Other health measures
Danone Activia kefir present a mixed bag in terms of health measures when compared to Yeo Valley kefir.
Protein: This kefir has moderate protein levels at 3.3%. Yeo Valley is higher at 4%.
Sugar: Its sugar content is moderate at 4.1%, which is below Yeo Valley at 5.7%.
Fat: It has moderate levels of fat for a kefir at 3.3%, which is above that of Yeo Valley (1.9%).
Calcium: Its calcium content is moderate at 119mg per 100g - which is slightly below Yeo Valley’s level (126mg).
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it appears like a thick yoghurt with a slight yellow tinge. It also some bubbles on the surface and visible lumps.
Texture
The texture is moderately thick and it has a few noticeable lumps. There is no typical kefir effervescence to speak of though.
Flavour
The aroma is mainly of yoghurt with perhaps the slightest bit of typical kefir funk.
The taste is fairly yoghurty neutral and again with just a little kefir complexity in the background. The acidity is moderate.
Overall, the taste is fine but, like a lot of commercial kefir, it comes across more as a drinking yoghurt than an authentic kefir.
Use
This kefir would be versatile given the neutral flavour. It could be had on its own, added to cereal or smoothies, or used in dressings or marinades.
Cost of Danone Activia kefir
We bought a 280g (yes, gram) bottle from Tesco for £1.60.
Summary
Rating: 4 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Danone Activia kefir is made with both kefir grains and inoculation of yoghurt cultures. The mainly yoghurty flavour reflects this.
Pros
no concerning ingredients (even if some aren’t entirely traditional)
16 strains of live cultures
approachable yoghurty flavour…
Cons
…but it doesn’t taste like a traditional kefir
not a fully authentic kefir as it’s inoculated with various yoghurt strains
no information on the actual number of live cultures present (ie colony forming unit count)
more expensive than some other (smaller) brands on a per ml/g basis
Now read about the best kefirs in the UK!
Other health benefits of kefir
Along with the specific benefits of this kefir mentioned above, kefir in general is good for our health in the following ways.
Vitamins and minerals
Kefir is a source of various vitamins and minerals including:
calcium
B vitamins (B12 and riboflavin)
magnesium
potassium
phosphorous
These vitamins collectively support bone health, energy production, muscle function, immune function and cardiovascular health.
Probiotics
Some of the strains of live cultures used in making kefir may be probiotic which means they could offer us health benefits.
Some probiotics may offer health benefits which could include:
better digestive health
better immune function
reduced inflammation
reduced allergies
better nutrient absorption
It’s important to note that the potential benefits of probiotics vary from strain to strain and each won’t offer all the benefits listed above.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are essentially beneficial things cultures produce during fermentation. These include healthy short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Reduced lactose
Because of the strong fermentation of milk sugars by a diverse range of bacteria and yeasts, kefir is better for people with some degree of lactose intolerance compared to milk or yoghurt.
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.
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