Yogurts That Contain Lactobacillus Acidophilus

Eating yogurt is a simple way to add calcium and protein to your day. It's also a great grab-and-go snack for when you need a quick pick-me-up. While the dietary benefits are plentiful, yogurt with Lactobacillus, which is one of the most commonly used probiotics, may also boost your overall health.

The genus Lactobacillus is one of the most common bacteria classified as a probiotic, according to Harvard Health Publications. Probiotics promote the growth of "good" bacteria through fermented foods like yogurt and over-the-counter supplements.

And when good bacteria or live cultures are present, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says their presence may change or repopulate intestinal bacteria to balance gut flora. Which is great news since this also creates an environment not suitable for harmful bacteria. Basically, what all of this means is that probiotics may have a positive impact on your overall health, especially gastrointestinal health.

More specifically, the Academy points to the role probiotics play in managing the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Additionally, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) points out that probiotics show promise in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea and induction or maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

However, the NCCIH does stress that in general, researchers still don't know which probiotics are helpful and which are not. Plus, it's still not known how much you would need to take in a supplement or consume from foods in order to get the most health benefits. But the good news is, probiotics are safe, particularly in healthy people.

Read more: Yogurt Brands Containing Probiotics

In general, most yogurts contain probiotics, but if you want yogurt with acidophilus, the National Yogurt Association's (NYA) website AboutYogurt.com, recommends looking for their "Live and Active Cultures" seal. Buying a yogurt with Lactobacillus and the NYA seal ensures that you will be eating refrigerated yogurt that contains at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture or frozen yogurt that has 10 million cultures per gram.

With that in mind, when looking for a high-quality yogurt with acidophilus or live and active cultures, the first step is to check for the NYA seal or the words "live and active cultures" on the label. There are several brands that meet the NYA criteria, which means, you should be able to find one that you like.

Before you grab a spoon and dig in, you'll want to check the sugar and protein content. When choosing a yogurt, Harvard Health Publishing recommends sticking with one that has less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.

Additionally, you'll want to check the label for protein and go with one that has 5 grams or more of protein per serving. Many yogurt companies now offer Greek-style yogurt, which is a great choice if you want some extra protein.

Read more: List of Good Bacteria in Yogurt

When it comes to shopping for yogurt with Lactobacillus, the number of products to choose from is extensive. However, some brands including, FAGE, Chobani, Stonyfield, Yoplait and Siggi's seem to be more popular than others. Dannon yogurt probiotics vary, so it's best to check each label. They carry Dannon traditional yogurt and Dannon Activia Probiotic Yogurt.

• FAGE Yogurt. FAGE Total Plain Yogurt in 0%, 2% and 5% fat and FAGE TruBlend are Greek-style yogurts that contain L. acidophilus and four additional live and active bacterial cultures including S_. thermophilus_, Bifidus, L. bulgaricus and L. casei.
  
• Chobani Yogurt. All Chobani Greek Yogurts include the active cultures L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, Bifidus and L. casei on their ingredient lists. Some varieties include additional probiotics such as L. rhamnosus.
  
• Stonyfield Organic Yogurt. All Stonyfield Organic Yogurts contain L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, Bifidus, L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus.
  
• Yoplait Yogurt. Both Yoplait Original and Yoplait Light have L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus.
  
• Siggi's Icelandic Skyr Yogurt. The simple ingredients and low sugar make Siggi's yogurt a great choice. The live active cultures include L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, B. lactis and L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis.