This week, my husband offered to make the weekly trip to the grocery store. In addition to our usual staples, he brought home a surprise for me: a widely advertised yogurt.

He explained that the product had been on sale and that he had remembered seeing a TV advertisement claiming that this type of yogurt was good for digestive health — so why not give it a try? 

What he was referring to was the claim that Bifidus regularis, a type of bacteria that is being added to one brand of yogurt, can decrease intestinal transit time — the time it takes for food to move through the intestine — by improving digestive regularity.

While you may be alarmed to learn that bacteria are being added to your yogurt, most yogurts do in fact contain bacteria cultures, such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus.

These bacteria are what cause the natural sugars to ferment and produce the acids that give yogurt its characteristic taste. In addition, once inside us, the bacteria help us strike a balance in the gut between the healthy, naturally occurring bugs and the bad bacteria that can lead to food poisoning. 

What I needed to explain to my husband was that regardless of the claims of this specific product to improve our digestive health, all types of yogurt can benefit your diet and your intestinal health.

Yogurt is a source of protein, with at least eight grams of it in every eight-ounce serving. It is also a great source of calcium, riboflavin, B12, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Remember to opt for non-fat or low-fat yogurt to help reduce the calories and fat in each serving.