Yoghurt making, what about drinks such as Yakult?

lavenderlady

Good morning all.

Ok I've been making yoghurt for a while, I use the Lidl ones and am having better results now i'm adding less starter yoghurt.... no idea why!

Anyway I was reading about the Yakult probiotic drinks and on their website it says that Yakult has different cultures in than yoghurt and they are not a substitute for each other but a compliment.

So would it be possible to use half yoghurt and half Yakult to make a power house of a yoghurt? Surely that way we will be getting a full array of cultures.

I'm not a massive fan of homemade yoghurt but I eat it for its health benefits. I love the taste of Yakult but can't really afford to be it regularly.

Thanks guys

Seakay

I've been having a Google about the possibilities of homemade Yakult, and as far as I can see it is Kefir with a few things added. Found this on an American forum, thread now closed:

"Wow - something else new for me! I just did a quick check and found a recipe....sounds really healthy - and definitely the same family with the probiotic aspect. CA is ahead of the rest of the country I think with the heath 'awareness' - although it seems to be picking up here on the East Coast. At least in the city that is. My Europe and Mexican team mates are all about this stuff - definitely believe it's beneficial. I think the whole bacteria connotation is seen by many as kind of yucky.... although I have no issue with the products I have tried which are supposed to be rivals of Yakult. Anyway here is the recipe if your interested. I'm going to try it. : ) Thanks for the info!!

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Make kefir with the freshest milk possible and add as many of the following ingredients as desired:

1 tsp. of unrefined flax seed oil
Lecithin, which aids fat digestion, to taste
Fiber, such as Nutri-Flax
Probiotics (friendly bacteria)
Natural flavorings or herbs such as stevia, nutmeg, cinnamon, non-alcoholic vanilla or natural fruit flavoring
Fresh or frozen organic fruits, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, kiwi, mango etc."

lavenderlady

Thank you SeaKay.

I'm getting into a pickle with all this reading. I use to drink kefir but its truly vile so I ended up adding honey, milkshake and everything to it to stop me being sick. Then I read that not all kefir contains the wonderful cultures and yeasts we read about, they vary apparently from area to area depending on how they started.

It seems like the culture that stands out in Yakult is Lactobacillus casei. This is not found in the Lidl yogurt that I use as a starter. It is supposed to be able to withstand stomach acid for longer than other strains.

I may try getting the kefir going again if thats the best way of getting these daily good bacteria into my system. However I shall be looking on the shelves for a yogurt containing Lactobacillus casei to use as a starter.