Health Mantra: A Healthy Intestine leads to a long life; Prevention is better than Cure
Yakult Danone India Pvt.Ltd., in line with its core philosophy of improving health and happiness across the world, conducted an informative and thought-provoking session in Ahmedabad on the health benefits of Yakult, a globally acclaimed probiotic fermented milk drink. Yakult has a heritage of more than 80 years and more than 40 million people consume it every day across 39 countries and regions for its health benefits.
Speaking about the benefits of Yakult, Mr. Minoru Shimada, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd. said, “At Yakult we are committed to improving the health of people especially intestinal health which we believe is a cause for great concern in a country like India. Based on the principle of “a healthy intestine leads to a long life and prevention is better than cure”, Yakult contains 6.5 billion Yakult’s unique probiotic bacteria calledLactobacillus casei strain Shirota(LcS) that help improve digestion and help build immunity. It can be consumed by everyone,including children above the age of one year. We hope consumers make it a part of their daily diet so that they can maximize thenutrition from the food they eat.
Highlighting the importance of intestinal health, Dr. Neerja Hajela, Head – Science and Regulatory Affairs, Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Intestine is one of the most neglected organs but is important for every aspect of human health and well-being”. Poor intestinal health is the root cause of most diseases. Most people are not aware that the intestine is not only involved in digestion of food and absorption of nutrients but is also the largest immune organ since about 70% of the immune system is found there. It plays a critical role in protecting us from diseases and infections. Not only that, the intestine also contains about 1.5 kg bacteria that are crucial ensuring a healthy intestine. The decline in the beneficial bacteria because of poor and unbalanced diet, stress, pollution and ageing, negatively influences digestion and increases the risk of diseases.
Yakult, the probiotic fermented milk drink with its probiotic LcS helps to increase the beneficial bacteria for better digestion and immunity. It was launched in Japan in 1935 and has been scientifically validated with more than 100 human studies across the globe. “One of the largest communitybased study was conducted in approx. 4,000 children in the age group of 1-5 years at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) in Kolkata. This study showed that consumption of Yakult for 12 weeks resulted in 14% reduction in diarrhoea. This was a very useful finding especially in country like India where diarrhoea kills 3 lakh children every year”. Regular consumption of Yakult helpsimprove bowel movement and reduces the risk of digestive disorders. Yakult has also been scientifically proven to help build immunity and reduce the risk of common cold, cough and allergies.
Dispelling the myth between traditional fermented foods and probiotics, she said, “While traditional foods are consumed mainly for nutrition to get proteins, calcium and vitamins, probiotic products are scientifically proven toaidand improve digestion and boost immunity. The two categories are therefore very different”.
Mr. Minoru Shimada added that, Yakult is now available in two variants – the Signature Yakult and Yakult Light with reduced sugar, and Vitamin D & E added. The new variant was introduced in response to the demand from consumers for reduced sugar. Recognizing the need for Vitamin D in a country like India, we decided to add it to the new variant. Yakult Light promises to cater to the needs of the health conscious along with the primary benefit of better digestion and immunity.
“India offers huge potential for Yakult and we are committed to educate consumers about the importance of including Yakult as a part of their daily diet. We enjoy a pan-India presence and consumers enjoy the benefits of our signature drink-Yakult. In Gujarat, we have a robust presence and are available across 10 cities viz. Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Anand, Nadiad, Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Bharuch and Ankleshwar and are available in more than 330 outlets.
The retail price of Yakult is Rs. 60 for a pack of 5 bottles and Yakult Light is priced at Rs. 80 for a pack of 5 bottles.
“Today we are present in over 59 cities in 16 states across India. The health benefits of Yakult are tangible and there is an upward trend in consumption. We are constantly and innovatively communicating the key messages of our signature product through consumer engagement initiatives at the ground-level to raise awareness”, Mr. Shimada added.
