Bifidus Actiregularis, Bifidus Regularis, Bifidus Digestivum, Bifidobacterium Lactis and its variants are marketing names generated by Danone (known in the United States of America as Dannon) for one of the specific bacteria it uses in its “Activia” range of yoghurt products.
According to a reply received from Dannon by the Writerious blog, Bifidus Regularis (and therefore presumably all the variations of Bifidus…) is a proprietary strain of Bifidobacterium.
The source of “Bifidus” is from the intestinal bacterium Bifidobacterium animalis, a kind of bacteria found in the large intestines of most mammals, including humans. “Actiregularis” is an invented word, the first half of which which emphasises the active nature of the bacteria. In common with with Bifidus Regularis, the “regularis” part emphasises being “regular” and the “is” at the end suggests a scientific derivation. The bacteria is known as Bifidus Actiregularis in UK marketing materials and Bifidus Regularis in marketing materials from the USA.
Bifidus Actiregularis used to be called Bifidus Digestivum in UK marketing materials. “Digestivum” is an invented word which uses “digestive” as a root to suggest beneficial effects on digestion, combined with the latinate ending “um” to suggest a scientific derivation.
It is known as Bifidobacterium Lactis in Canadian marketing materials, where Lactis uses the Latin root for milk (“lac” / “lact-“) and “is” to suggest a scientific derivation.
It is known as “Digestivum Essensis” in German and Austrian marketing materials. These are both invented words, the first emphasising digestion and the second emphasising the “essential” nature of the nutrition, using latinate endings to suggest a scientific derivation.
The name of the bacteria changes from country to country and over time, to reflect differences in marketing strategy and consumer behaviour. One suggestion for the change in the UK from Bifidus Digestivum from Bifidus Actiregularis is that Bifidus Digestivum was so ridiculed it become a liability – do a Google search for Bifidus Digestivum to see the results.
The scientifically correct name for the bacteria is “Bifidobacterium animalis DN 173 010”.
The BBC has recorded an excellent radio programme about gut bacteria, including a discussion of the fundamental uncertainty about the very specific advertised claims for probiotics.
Read more about probiotics, prebiotics, and intestinal flora, Danone’s marketing strategy and what’s in Activia, Danactive and Actimel using the More information menu on the right.
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Comments
Margaret,
while eating prunes, fresh fruit, etc will help relieve constipation, they only help because of their fiber content. The fiber helps “scrub” your colon, but doesn’t address the likely underlying problem: a lack of the requisite intestinal flora. Yogurt replaces these bacteria which, along with a high fiber diet, will help regular *digestion*
Posted by Enter your name here on 27th July 2010
I maintain that organic chemistry and biochemistry should be graduation requirements at universities along side all the humanty B.S. they make you take…
For all of you who doubt the effectiveness of Activia (or any yogurt for that matter), you are clearly among the woefully ignorant when it comes to the human body and the chemistry of bacteria…bacteria covers every surface-inside and out- of our bodies and plays an integral role our daily functioning. If you are lacking certain bacteria inside your colon and small intestine, you will experience bowel/digestive irregularity.
Yogurt in general is chock-full of the same probiotics that should be present in our digestive systems already. It replaces the bacteria that may be lacking in someone who experiences irregularity and/or help restore the balance of the bacteria in our guts.
Saying that Activia does not work or gives you diarrhea or whatever is just plain wrong because it defies the definition of yogurt. Sorry.
Basically, any yogurt would do the same thing, but Activia is a good option for the diet-conscious because it is lower in calories that regular yogurt (compare to skim vs. whole milk–both contain calcium, vitamin D, etc…one just has less fat and calories)
Posted by Enter your name here on 27th July 2010
Margaret Martin (25/7) – why on earth are you expecting a yoghourt to relieve your constipation? Eating fresh fruit will aid with that problem – or prunes (tinned or dried) will bring relief. But, if you’ve had the problem that long, you need to seek medical help.
Posted by John on 26th July 2010
I have had IBS for several years and just suffered with the pain and rollercoaster of constipation/diarrhea. I am sure Activia will not work for EVERYONE – but in the 2 weeks i ahve been using it it has significantly improved my symptoms and im looking forward to getitng better each day. As for the person who said it made her ill and she cud not be more than a few steps frm bathroom – maybe you have a food allergy – ther is NOTHING in yogurt that will do that to you and i think it s horrible that you would try to blame it on Activia when millions use it with no problem. Good Job Activia!
Posted by Shelli on 25th July 2010
Ive been taking activia intensely creamy for at least 6 months and its never made it easier for me to go to the loo.Ive now started 2 a day and still it does not work on me.I shall finish what i have left in the fridge and save my money and just take a strong laxative ,.
Posted by Margaret Martin on 25th July 2010
It’s just yogurt, folks, with a new marketing name. Dissect it, claim you researched it, find it’s particular strain… spin it anyway that makes you happy. You’ll still end up coming back to the same thing: It’s just yogurt.
Posted by Enter your name here on 24th July 2010
I tried Activia and thought it tasted terrible; it has a strong, bitter, yogurty taste and it’s not very creamy either. I MUCH prefer an all natural Greek yogurt I am now eating that says it contains five live and active cultures including Bifidus. I also suffer from irregularity and the Greek yogurt has helped me tremendously. Since I have been eating one every other day, I have noticed a HUGE difference.
Posted by Andrea on 23rd July 2010
I agree it works! I take it and I go running to the potty within hours, but I think it tastes nasty, tangy, and almost sour…
Posted by KOKO on 22nd July 2010
This works for both problems, constipation (from what i hear) or diarrhea of which I suffer. Since eating Activia my bowels have returned to normal. It’s a wonderful thing!!! Not sure why the person made the comment that her diarrhea got worse with this, but for me it’s a cure! To each his/her own.
Posted by Sophia on 22nd July 2010
I have been fighting constipation for years. My mom had colon cancer. I was so happy to find Activia. It works for me. Maybe not for everyone.
Posted by Jean on 15th July 2010
I had constipation, bloating, smelly gas for over 3 years with no relief. I’m a vegetarian, I drink Soy milk. I finally tried Activia and low-and-behold! I’m regular at last with NO BLOATING, NO SMELLY GAS. I’M SAVED!!! The product works for me. I am over 50 and this product has made me feel more energetic and balanced homeostasis. thanks Activia. I eat one every day in the evening and I’m good to go. I just hope nothings strange happens in about 5 years to make me grow horns or anything. (just kidding). Thanks Activia.
Posted by Enter your name here on 13th July 2010
Its really just a laxative. Anyone with IBS-diarrhea needs to stay away from it. I had one container of the brand name yogurt and couldn’t leave the house for more than 48 hours. Had to stay within a few steps of the bathroom in fact, between bathroom trips I was in bed because of the severe intestinal pain. Its probably great for those who are constipated though. I get a kick out of the silly commercials though. Just my opinion.
Posted by Alarmed at the withheld facts on 13th July 2010
It works for me.
Posted by Kim on 12th July 2010
to the dumba$$ that said their need to be less people in the world why dont you do yourself a favor and go ahead and get rid of your self!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by kaylee on 11th July 2010
I must say activa is great. I am not going by what someone said. I tried it for myself. before I would be bloated embarrasing gas. Now I am having good movements. especially after eating a meal. which was very unusal before activa. Thanks activa!
Posted by patty ivory on 10th July 2010
Is it true that a pregnant lady should NOT eat bifidus regularis?
Posted by Margaret Ann on 5th July 2010
You know how many chemicals are in Activia? I am not putting that in my system. People should drink Kefir – it is organic, no chemical crap, and has tons more probiotics than this well advertised stuff. Look a little into this and try Kefir – it is far better for you.
Posted by Ted on 3rd July 2010
Have had periods of constipation for the last 4 months. Stopped taking calcium tablets but that did not seemto help. Then after 1 week of Activia, am regular with no more painful stoops. It seems to work very well for me.
Posted by Lisa. Santa Barbara on 28th June 2010
It works for me! I love the taste. I eat the Vanilla or Strawberry Light Activia almost every day at lunch. Things work out lovely in the “powder room”.
Posted by Posted by Kathy 19th June 2010 on 19th June 2010
is this product good for people who have reflux?
Posted by jeanette on 10th June 2010
on day 3 and still no luck, maybe won’t work for me, will still follow thru with the 12 day challenge.
Posted by Enter your name here on 9th June 2010
After trying many, many yogurt cultures in our Waring Pro Yogurt Maker, we have settled on Activia as our main culture of choice. We use whole milk, a cup of dry, powdered milk per quart of liquid milk plus a tablespoon of sugar per quart and a pinch of salt for the whole batch. After tempering the milk at 190F and cooling it to 110F, we BLEND in the culture in a Ninja master food prep unit for 5 – 10 seconds and then culture in the yogurt maker for less than 3 hours… it turns out absolutely wonderful… does not develop a strong tang and is creamy, smooth and just as tasty as you could ever want.
Check our website: http://mryogurt.info/
Posted by Bill on 6th June 2010
Does this yoghurt give you a strange coloured poop? something like the chicken korma colour!!!
Posted by ROBBY on 3rd June 2010
I have the opposite problem of most of you. I have irratal bowel syndrome. I was afraid to try Activia because the last thing I need is to go more . First of all I love the flavor. I have one a day for a snack. After 2 weeks I realized that I had not had diarrhea. It has been 3 months now and I have had diarrhea just 3 times instead of the weekly and sometimes daily occurance that I had to suffer with it in the past. I am amazed!!!!!
Posted by Claudia on 1st June 2010
Interesting – and funny. “Biffie” is a US slang term for bathroom – don’t know about the ROW. I suspect more people are aware of the slang usage than of the actual bacterium (one of many) in the digestive tract. For me, this sort of “faking” of science lower my estimation of the brand.
Posted by GV3 on 28th May 2010
I think it works. They could cut out most of the sugar stuff, but it tastes great and I seem to be more regular than ever.
Posted by cornelius May 25 2010 on 25th May 2010
Bifidus Regularis is a made up name for for Bifidobacterium animalis.. You can’t trademark a naturally occurring bacteria. When I go into Samarra, I’d always tell people who pick up Activia that they would’ve same benefits as they do from any yogurt product. The only difference and that is what makes people regular, is the other ingredients that are included in It. The additional fiber to any product will keep you regular. Especially, if you add a sugar alcohol or increased fiber. Much cheaper and more effective, would be a combination of any stores your, as long as it contains active yogurt cultures, along with fiber will achieve the same goal. The class with you, I did a study with the proprietary brand of Salvia hispanica L., called Anutra, that costs as little as $12.63 a month, and when combined with yogurt, gives you the benefit of both fiber and Bifidus species. in addition, it lowers cholesterol, triglycerides, and increases HDL cholesterol. I did a study on it and my results were phenomenal.
Posted by William Jay Robbins, MD on 23rd May 2010
Ok everyone, in case you’re interested, the following is information on Bifidus Regularis from actual research. I first went to research exactly what this ingredient is because, like some of the posters here, I found that even regularly eating plenty of fruits and veggies wasn’t helping me be as regular as I would have like, and I did indeed find success with Activia. I chose to find out the magic ingredient because I wanted to have something to take with me on vacations or other travel that didn’t require constant refrigeration, and as well we all know they don’t sell Activia as singles in stores! So I did a bit of research… I found the following: The name Bifidus Regularis is the name given to one particular strain of bacteria that lives in your gut. The bacteria itself can’t be trademarked since it’s naturally occuring however, and therefore it may go by several different names depending on what country you live in or in what product the bacteria strain is used. What is unchanging though is the code given to this strain. This is a quote from Wikipedia, “Danone (Dannon) have claimed trademark status on the subspecies strain DN 173 010 and markets the organism as Bifidus Digestivum (UK), Bifidus Regularis”. So while Dannon is falsely laying trademark to this organism, the important thing is we now know the code number of the actual strain, DN 173 010. If this strain works for you then I would recommend you look for this particular strain in your local healthfood store.
Posted by Actually did research on 20th May 2010
look up the ingredients… fructose syrup, sugar, modified corn starch. Bifidus Regularis is a made up name for for Bifidobacterium animalis.. You can’t trademark a naturally occurring bacteria.
Posted by Activia is poison on 17th May 2010
It really has worked for me.
Posted by Marva on 13th May 2010
i never had any success with activia, i do like the taste so i eat it anyway, i eat fruits and vegetables daily, still no help….
Posted by Anonymous on 10th May 2010
All I can say is that before I took Activia I’d been to the docs twice before with ‘wind and bloating’, after a week I could not believe the difference, I feel great. Where can I get or make a cheaper alternative?
Posted by Jackie 3 May 2010 on 3rd May 2010
Smelly gas tho
Posted by harry on 2nd May 2010
could someone please tell me if this will help with bloating of the stomach
Posted by andrea on 27th April 2010
Where are the authors or credentials for this site? I would really like to know, so I could use this information.
Posted by Courtney on 25th April 2010
I had chronic constipation for over a year. Nothing seemed to work. I took laxatives, stool softeners, etc. Still nothing. I decided I would try the Activia. I figured I could try one more thing before i went nuts. Lo-and behold…. Im more regular than I have ever been. I ate one everyday for a week and it is already working wonders.
Posted by YES! on 23rd April 2010
If I remember correctly, bifidusbacillis is transferred from the mother, maybe through nursing??? It is deposited in the appendix by the infant’s body, where it is stored, available for digestion. Another perfection of the human body. Through poor diet, this healthy bacteria can go out of balance, overwhelmed by yeast. Taking it orally (can be purchased in pill form at the health food store) can help to re-balance. So just think of Dannon as an enormous step mother offering you her breast!
Posted by Bifidus Comes From Mom on 23rd April 2010
I am a regular guy even when i’m not watching my diet but i started buying activia yogurt since it was on sale frequently. i eat it with granola every morning at work and must admit that it works almost dangerously well. it tastes delicious and i definitely have a bounce in my step these days. for the doubters out there, i’ve been eating the same breakfast for a year now with different brands of yogurt but until i tried activia (about 3 weeks ago) i haven’t felt nearly as good.
Posted by Dan on 22nd April 2010
Bifidus Regularis………………I think it is their way of saying regularly going to the biffy! Its a made up name for capturing attention. There may be some cultures in it to help with bowl movements, but I still think its some ad exec way of making the product sound important.
Posted by jr on 21st April 2010
The important thing one should consider about taking any dietary supplement is the body of research that surrounds it. ‘Bififidusregularis’ is a trade-name owned by a company, which is trying to sell a product. I would consider any information about such a product provided by the company that manufactures it highly suspect. Why not just eat a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and hell why not yoghurt too? Just be sensible people. Magic bullets are for werewolves.
Posted by Anonymous on 21st April 2010
Modern medicine..hmm. There are so many ways to look at it as good and/or bad. But making the point by saying there wouldn’t be as many people alive today without it isn’t very convincing. On a personal level yes, I don’t wish illness on anyone. But on a bigger scale, a lot of the world’s problems are due in part to there being way too many people. Pollution, starvation, unemployment, etc. We might be a little better off if there weren’t that many people around.
But back to yogurt etc – I didn’t have any different results from one brand of yogurt over another. Fortunately I don’t have ongoing or chronic problems, maybe because of regular yogurt?, but if/when I do – adjusting the diet can work wonders.
Posted by sjk on 20th April 2010
The living organisms contained in all Yogurt – Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, … and also the Saccharomyces Boulardii (yeast found in specific supplements used to combat diarrheia) are beneficial to intestinal flora because they secretes substances that are good to maintain our health and because they compete against the dangerous living organisms that secretes toxins.
The great question is that these organisms are symbionts… putting them in is good, but doing it and also keeping a maintenance diet – balanced with fresh uncooked vegetables and milk is even better – the fiber content is important to absorb body toxins and the natural sugar contents (fructose, lactose, etc…) is important to keep this organisms always living inside you.
you doubt? Just try it… Eat your favorite Yogurt, then drink a cup of pure milk (in ambient temperature) then eat an apple, banana ou other fruit.
Will work fine for you as it worked fine for me.
Posted by Marckell on 16th April 2010
Bifidus Regularis, as we can see from all the comments here, is Dannon’s (patented/copyrighted) BRAND name for its particular formula used to create their own yogurt bacterium (yes, “formula” fits here; after all, Dannon has somehow “specialized” a proprietary form of bacteria that it can patent and otherwise “own”).
It is probable that Dannon’s claims are somewhat accurate, since most any decently manufactured yogurt (sometimes spelled “yoghurt”); which is bacterially fermented milk; should do pretty much the same thing. It might be possible that Dannon’s particular research has taught them something about how to manipulate bacterium into more “efficient” organisms through genetics or other tampering methods; who knows? That said, I might want to know if their now “non-natural”(?) substances are likely to cause any ill-effects; short or long term.
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus are the two most commonly used bacterium for producing yogurt naturally; through a process of heating, cooling, and other steps. Yogurt has been made for more than 5,000 years; and there have undoubtedly been numerous varieties of “formulations”, processes, and other methodologies for making it, over that time period.
In summary: It is the beneficial bacterium in yogurt that helps in digestion. Dannon is just one brand with clever marketing tactics. I submit that other brands might well be equal in effectiveness with regard to Dannon’s claims so well advertised.
Posted by w1z111 on 15th April 2010
to the comment “by Enter your name here on 12th April 2010 “.
Please do not try and tell people that modern medicine is bad.
If “modern medicine” had not be found out, then there would be considerably less people alive today than there are. Anyone who thinks that modern medicine is just a complete retard.
Posted by Andy - A Medical Student on 12th April 2010
You all are f’n stupid..all u need to do is do a whole/full body cleance and eat healthy,organic,all natural whole foods,stay away from modern medicine and doctors,find alternative dr’s,ways to eat and vitamins to take and you’ll be AMAZED at how great you’ll feel,look and be..don’t believe me??..google it..do the research,you’ll see…p.s..the government won’t help u with this either,they don’t want to
Posted by Enter your name here on 12th April 2010
It works great for me. I have been able to stop taking a daily laxative. At age 85 I need something to keep me regular. It taste great also.
Posted by Carleton on 11th April 2010
yea i also think it works, but not better as any other yougurt .
The only realy new thing with activia is the price. So i decieded to go along with an ordinary yogurt a day.
PS: somthing i read in another forum: a irregular defecation is nothing abnormal. just like you’r not eating the same amunt of food every day.
Posted by Faxxen on 11th April 2010
let me tell you something we were looking for a laxative that works good on us, we tried linasa and something else, but has a side effects like stomach ache; lately we went to store and saw Activia, so we decide to buy A box of 12 yogurts and seems works fine for us, I really recommend it. and taste great as a regular yougurt!!!!
If you want to keep in shape try to clean out first, it will works better for you. God Bless you all!!!!
Posted by Sergio & Claudia Martinez, San Jose Ca. on 7th April 2010
this yogurt really works. im in the process of geting back in shape and i promise you that activia cleans you out.
Posted by Enter your name here on 6th April 2010
I like the stuff. Had two surgeries that effected my intestines, with the second one removing a one-foot section of the large intestine. Try to eat between 35-45 g of fiber per day, and still not regular. But the Activia, including the activia frozen dessert product, seem to keep it more frequent. Throw in the occasional artichoke (yes, they really do the trick) and I’m feeling much better most days. The name is screamingly silly, but what the hey, it tastes great and seems to work better than the other yogurts. Wish somebody would do a study of the microbiology and tell us if it really is a unique strain or if there is some scientific basis to go with our anecdotal evidence, though….
Posted by Michelle on 6th April 2010