Yogurt questions

[7rider]

Hey all.
So, I'm on antibiotics for a sinus infection.
Blech. Hate the stuff and they're wreaking havoc on me. Sometimes the cure *is* worse than the disease.
My doctor said to eat yogurt daily to help keep the gut flora happy. So, I've stocked up on the Activia, Danactive, Yo+ and what-have-you.
Question...
I recall reading *somewhere* (yeah..there! ) that yogurt is best eaten when allowed to come up to room temp..to really get the critter cultures active.
What about timing when you eat it? Anyone know if it's best to eat on an empty stomach? With other food? As far from a dose of antibiotics as possible?
Just curious, I guess...
Thanks much.

[makbike]

7rider,

I had a doctor tell me one time to skip the yogurt and simply purchase acidiphilus tablets. He/she indicated the tablets were more effective and efficient in reculturing ones gut. I have had great success with the tablets and now take them year round. I was told I did not need to separate them from the antibiotics but must keep them in the fridge. Not sure if this is helpful but I hope you find something that works for I feel your pain/discomfort.

[Di bear]

I would go for the yogurt. I prefer Stonyfield. It is has several different cultures and it organic. It is VERY tasty and I never get sick of it, unlike the traditional grocery store varieties.

Regarding the previous post, I personally feel that our society is too pill happy. Eat food. That is what God intended. As far as warming it up goes, don't worry about. It will warm up the minute it hits your mouth and won't take long to get up to body temp shortly thereafter.

[firenze11]

I had a doctor tell me one time to skip the yogurt and simply purchase acidiphilus tablets. He/she indicated the tablets were more effective and efficient in reculturing ones gut. I have had great success with the tablets and now take them year round. I was told I did not need to separate them from the antibiotics but must keep them in the fridge. Not sure if this is helpful but I hope you find something that works for I feel your pain/discomfort.

+1 on this. A doctor also recommended this to my family when we vacation and whenever taking antibiotics. Anecdotally, I feel taking probiotic supplements (because fresh yogurt wasn't available daily) when I am out of the country has kept me from getting very sick on more than one occasion. I had a close call on one trip but took Florastor and bounced back without much misery.

If you're uncomfortable with taking probiotics in pill form just stick with the yogurt. It's cheaper, it can be very tasty, and essentially does the same thing. I think it's a personal preference.

I just did a quick google search and found this page at the Mayo Clinic website. Under the children's dosage recommendation it says:

Some natural medicine textbooks and experts suggest that one-quarter teaspoon or one-quarter capsule of commercially available L. acidophilus may be safe for use in children for the replacement of gut bacteria destroyed by antibiotics. Up to 12 billion lyophilized heat-killed L. acidophilus has been given every 12 hours for up to five days. It is often recommended that L. acidophilus supplements be taken two hours after antibiotic doses, because antibiotics may kill L. acidophilus if taken at the same time.

Makes sense, if antibiotics kill bacteria why wouldn't they kill acidophilus if taken at the same time. I hope you feel much better soon! I had antibiotics also but have had to take a ton of them in my lifetime (thanks childhood ear infections and strep problems)

[Becky]

Kefir is a probiotic drink made from milk that's similar to drinkable yogurt, but has twice the bacterial cultures of yogurt. The Trader Joe's near us sells a quart for ~$3. DH and I tried those Dannon immunity drinks, which really seemed to improve the way we felt overall, but they're expensive and generate a lot of waste.

Feel better soon!

[OakLeaf]

I do both, actually, when I'm recovering from antibiotics or gastroenteritis. I've seen research that goes both ways as to which is better, pills or real yogurt. In general I'm with Di bear about eating food, but since you're trying to recover from a completely unnatural condition (antibiotics), enteric capsules and mega-doses make sense to me.

What doesn't really make sense to me is yogurt that's been "fortified" to make health claims...

If you do go for pills, make sure you get the kind that are stored in the store's refrigerator. Most of them say right on the label to take them as far between antibiotic doses as possible, and with a meal unless you're already taking the antibiotics with meals.

[7rider]

Thanks all.
I do like and drink Kefir. I have regular yogurt cups this time, as they pack easier in my lunch bag for work! Make for a good mid-afternoon snack.
RE: "fortified" yogurt - it does strike me as a superflous redundancy ... doesn't yogurt already have beneficial cultures by definition??

[Jolt]

I would go for the yogurt. I prefer Stonyfield. It is has several different cultures and it organic. It is VERY tasty and I never get sick of it, unlike the traditional grocery store varieties.

Regarding the previous post, I personally feel that our society is too pill happy. Eat food. That is what God intended. As far as warming it up goes, don't worry about. It will warm up the minute it hits your mouth and won't take long to get up to body temp shortly thereafter.

I agree! When I recently had an infection and was on antibiotics I ate a LOT of Stonyfield yogurt, and didn't have any GI problems. I buy the plain kind in the quart container and mix different things into each serving depending on what sounds good (maple syrup, honey, fruit etc.). Another option is to make your own yogurt--that's the cheapest way to go and it turns out pretty good, if a little runny compared to store-bought.

[OakLeaf]

If your yogurt comes out runny, try experimenting with the amount of starter, the type of starter, and the temperature if you can. I keep a database of yogurt so I can keep track of what works: culture medium, type and amount of starter, how long I let it culture, then the consistency, tartness and flavor of the result.

If you're making cow's milk yogurt, another option is to stir in some powdered milk before you scald the milk. Goat's milk always requires more starter than cow's.

[Jolt]

If your yogurt comes out runny, try experimenting with the amount of starter, the type of starter, and the temperature if you can. I keep a database of yogurt so I can keep track of what works: culture medium, type and amount of starter, how long I let it culture, then the consistency, tartness and flavor of the result.

If you're making cow's milk yogurt, another option is to stir in some powdered milk before you scald the milk. Goat's milk always requires more starter than cow's.

Maybe I'll have to try a different brand of yogurt for starter--I've used Dannon (mostly because that is the easiest one to find a small container of plain) and maybe another brand would make it thicker. I also think part of it is all the stuff that gets added to a lot of store-bought yogurts to make them thicker--then the homemade stuff seems runny (but then, Stonyfield doesn't have the extra junk and it isn't runny). If all else fails, the homemade yogurt can just be considered drinkable yogurt!

[Di bear]

Make your own? Wow. I'm going to stop at mayo.

I eat Stonyfield every day. I love it! I ate the chocolate for the longest time. Now I'm eating the strawberry with raspberries mixed in (frozen). It's just way too convenient, and Stonyfield tastes really good.

I'm picking up French Vanilla for some blintzes I'll be making this week.