All yogurts are not created equal

Because of autodigestion of lactose by its endogenous bacteria, the lactose in yogurt is better absorbed than other sources of lactose in lactase-deficient subjects. To investigate possible differences among brands of yogurt in this autodigesting capacity, we challenged eight lactose-malabsorbing subjects with 20 g oral lactose and three different brands of yogurt (Borden, Dannon, and Royal Maid). As a quantitative measure of carbohydrate absorption, end-alveolar breath samples were collected for 8 h and assayed for hydrogen gas. Symptoms were scored by questionnaire every 30 min for 8 h. The cumulative breath H2 and the area under the discontinuous curve of breath-H2 concentration decreased relative to lactose results after ingestion of Dannon and Royal Maid but not after Bordon yogurt. no correlation of symptoms with the degree of carbohydrate malabsorption was demonstrated. We conclude that the lactase activity of yogurt cultures varies among brands.