Rachel’s probiotic yogurt is a healthy choice for breakfast, lunch or snacks. It’s so elegant, you can serve it as a casual dessert. Shown above: Plum Honey Lavender. Photo by Susan Fox | IST.
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KAREN HOCHMAN is Editorial Director of THE NIBBLE.
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March 2008
Updated March 2009
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Rachel’s Wickedly Delicious Yogurt
Page 2: Yogurt Health Benefits
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Yogurt Health Benefits
The yogurts are healthy: lowfat, 160 calories per six-ounce container, 20 calories from fat. The style is elegant, with a silky texture and lovely flavors. But there’s even more healthy stuff packed into Rachel’s Yogurt than the typical yogurt carton.
Probiotics
Probiotic bacteria, live and active cultures, occur naturally in the digestive tract, where they help promote a healthy balance, good digestion and overall intestinal vitality. However, they need regular replenishing, and people with digestive problems can benefit from products enhanced with probiotics (which have a much higher concentration of live and active cultures than regular yogurts with “live cultures”). Rachel’s contains five distinct strains: Bifidobacterium, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. casei and S. thermophilus. You can learn more about probiotics in our dedicated article on the topic.
Prebiotics
Rachel’s also includes prebiotics. A prebiotic is a form of dietary fiber that remains undigested in the small intestine, where it acts as a food source for the naturally-occurring healthy bacteria. Rachel’s uses a prebiotic (fructan) called NutraFlora, a dietary fiber found naturally in a variety of foods such as bananas, barley, garlic, honey, onion and rye. It has been shown to enhance the absorption of important minerals like calcium.
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A favorite: Plum Honey Lavender, a.k.a. “Calm.”
It might not be calming, but it is delightfully plummy. |
See our article on probiotics for a further discussion of prebiotics and fructans.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
The category of Omega 3 fatty acids in the yogurt is DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid. Omega-3 DHA helps support healthy function in brain and eye tissue, helps support cardiovascular functions, and has been linked to possible relief of PMS and menopause symptoms. While Omega-3 DHA fatty acids are most commonly derived from cold-water fish such as mackerel and salmon, Rachel’s uses a 100% vegetarian, sustainable DHA obtained from aquatic plants.
Continue To Page 3: Flavors Of Rachel’s Yogurt
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