Yakult review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Yakult. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this popular fermented milk drink.
Yakult in widely available in the UK, Australia and many other countries globally. It was originally developed in Japan in the 1930s.
If you are in Australia, you might like to also read our review of Aldi’s imitation of Yakult which is their Biocult probiotic drink.
And you might also be interested in reading our popular articles on the best probiotics in the UK or best probiotics in Australia if you want to add more healthy microbes to your diet through supplements.
Ingredients of Yakult
Yakult includes water, skimmed milk powder, sugar, dextrose, flavouring and live bacteria.
Personally I don’t love that it includes added sugar and dextrose. It is over 17% sugar which is much too much in my opinion.
Other things I don’t like are the added flavouring and that it is made from milk powder rather than milk.
In summary, Yakult is very much a manufactured product, rather than a traditional probiotic product like kefir or yoghurt.
Benefits of Yakult
The main benefit of this drink is the probiotics (ie live beneficial bacteria) it contains.
Probiotics
Yakult includes the strain Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota. On their website, Yakult claims it is “scientifically proven to survive the journey through the gastric juices to reach the small intestine alive”. If that’s the case, that’s a great benefit.
Each bottle contains 6.5 billion colony forming units of this bacteria.
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are essentially things probiotics produce during fermentation. These include healthy short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Appearance
Yakult has a yellowy, milky appearance.
Flavour
The aroma is strong caramel and condensed milk - which makes you brace yourself for an onslaught of sugar...
But the taste is not what you would expect! There’s a strong lemony acidity which cuts through the sweetness a lot. It’s actually quite pleasant and drinkable.
It does sort of coat your teeth and make them feel like they are corroding with each sip though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Cost of Yakult
The shot sells for £3.70 for an 8 pack in Tesco in the UK.
In Australia, you can buy a 10 pack for $7.70 from Coles.
So in terms of cost, Yakult performs extremely well compared to other fermented products.
Summary
3.75 stars out of 5.
A very affordable, mass produced probiotic.
Pros
lots of probiotics
pleasant enough taste
Cons
too much sugar
a very manufactured product compared to other fermented foods
only one strain of bacteria
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 it 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.
Our favourite gut health products in Australia
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
FixBIOME is a natural and very evidence-based supplement which is specifically designed to get your gut back into good shape. Perfect for those who need a gut reset
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 Australia.
Your reviewer
This article was reviewed by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut-health enthusiast, science nerd and passionate kombucha maker of over 10 years!
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