The gold standard in gut health

Yakult Middle East recently unveiled a new 'Gold' version of its iconic probiotic drink, which is now available at all major hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores across the UAE. Managing Director Koji Tanaka and Director of Sales and Marketing Eiji Amano tell us more. 
YAKULT IN THE UAE 
Yakult Middle East (YME) is one of the leading probiotic companies in the UAE and GCC countries. Currently, YME operates from Dubai, serving over 1,000 stores across GCC countries with fresh products. 
Yakult began with the passion of Dr Minoru Shirota, who was the founder of Yakult and a doctor of medicine. In 1930, Dr Shirota was successfully able to fortify and culture strain of a bacteria that is able to withstand strong gastric acids and reach intestines alive. The unique active bacteria in Yakult Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota was named in honour of Dr Minoru Shirota. 
Owing to beneficial effects, YME was established in 2015 as a subsidiary of Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd in Japan, which supports Yakult's business in the UAE and other GCC countries. 
PRODUCT PROFILE IN THE REGION 
Three variants of Yakult are sold in the UAE, with the most recent being Yakult Gold, a premium version of the iconic probiotic drink that is exclusively available in the UAE market initially.
Yakult Original (red lids) and Yakult Light (blue lids) are also sold at all major hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores across the UAE. Yakult Light contains 25 per cent less calories than Yakult Original with no added sugar.
All Yakult products are packed with the same probiotic power that helps balance your digestive process. Yakult Original is available in all the GCC countries except Saudi Arabia, while Yakult Light is available in UAE and Oman only. 
BENEFITS OF YAKULT GOLD
Yakult Gold, the premium version of Yakult Original and Yakult Light, is a fermented milk drink with a high number of probiotics. Each bottle of this premium fermented milk drink contains 30 billion Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (approximately four times the number of good bacteria found in Yakult Original and Yakult Light) and is packed with added nutrients such as Vitamin D, B12, B6, Niacin and Calcium.
IMPORTANCE OF GUT HEALTH 
Gut health refers to the balance of intestinal flora, which are microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. Maintaining the right balance of intestinal flora is vital for our physical health. More than 70 per cent of our overall immune cells are present in the digestive system.
These microorganisms play an important role in protecting the body from infections by fighting harmful bacteria, viruses and cancer cells.
About 500 different species of bacteria exist in our bodies, making up more than 100 trillion cells. Luckily for us, the bacteria share our food but do no real harm. However, some factors such as stress, junk food, imbalanced lifestyle and ageing can increase the number of bad bacteria in our intestines, which can cause digestive problems. 
PROBIOTICS TO THE RESCUE 
The term probiotic is derived from the Latin preposition 'pro', which means 'for' and 'biotic' meaning 'bios' or 'life'. Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that helps in maintaining the balance of intestinal flora by increasing the level of good bacteria and reducing the level of harmful ones.
Taking probiotics daily can support a healthy gut microbiome by preventing gut inflammation and other intestinal problems such as diarrhoea and constipation. Moreover, our immune system can benefit anytime from the balanced intestinal flora, which boost the natural killer cells (NK) that are responsible in fighting the occurrence of cancer cells and other infectious diseases.