Yakult is a fermented dairy drink sold by a Japanese company. The brand's website claims the drink contains "Simple Ingredients" and "Billions of Live and Active Probiotics."
But is Yakult healthy overall? Are the probiotics it contains shown in research studies to promote gut health? Does it contain any questionable additives? And is the packaging a health risk?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Yakult to give our take on whether or or not it's healthy.
We'll also explain why we think the packaging of the drink may be a bigger problem than the ingredients itself.
Key takeaways:
- Contains a probiotic strain which supports health
- Contains refined, added sugar
- Yakult is somewhat healthy but not our top yogurt pick
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Yakult Original are shown below:
Sugar is the first ingredient, and we know from population studies that added sugar (in excess) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Glucose is another form of added sugar.
We consider refined sugar like that in Yakult to be less healthy than unprocessed, natural sources of sugar like raw honey or maple syrup.
Nonfat milk is included, and the brand fails to clearly identify the sourcing of this milk.
Dairy sourced from grass-fed animals is more nutritious and has a healthier fatty acid profile than dairy from conventionally-raised animals, as we discussed in our is Oikos Triple Zero unhealthy article.
Natural flavors is a broad categorical descriptor that may include preservatives according to a medical review published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal.
L. paracasei strain shirota is a probiotic strain which is clinically shown to have anti-depressive effects, and also clinically shown to enhance immunity.
Overall, we consider Yakult to be somewhat healthy given the probiotic strain, but we consider it to be less healthy than many commercially-available yogurt and kefir drinks.
We do not currently recommend Yakult.
Is the Packaging a Health Risk?
Yakult (like many food products) is packaged in single-use plastic.
Plastic-bottled products leach chemicals which are clinically shown to be toxic, and acidic drinks like yogurt may increase this effect according to a clinical trial published in the Toxics journal.
We consider all acidic drinks like yogurt, alcohol and soda which are packaged in plastic to be a greater health risk than their equivalent drinks packaged in a plastic-free bottle.
It's very challenging in our experience to find yogurt or kefir packaged in plastic-free bottles, but we were able to locate some options at a local coop (and Whole Foods).
Is Yakult Light Healthier?
Yakult sells a lower-calorie version called Yakult Light.
Its ingredients are shown below:
Its ingredients are very similar, but this version contains only 1 gram (g) of added sugar, versus 9 g in Yakult Original.
The main health-promoting component (the probiotic strain) exists in both products.
We consider Yakult Light to be a healthier choice than Yakult Original because it contains nearly 90% less added, refined sugar.
