LcS Name Change

Posted on February 2 2023. Written by Yakult.

For over 80 years, Yakult has been a probiotic drink enjoyed by many families around the world. During this time there has been new research delving further into specific bacteria and their similarities to each other. Therefore, altering the name of the unique strain to reflect this update.

First, let’s talk about the history of Yakult:

During the 1930s, Dr. Minoru Shirota was a scientist and a medical researcher who dedicated his life to trying to find a way to help the digestive system. Through an extensive amount of research, in 1930 he found the Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) strain and in 1935 he created the drinks we now know as Yakult.

Moving forward to 2023:

With new technological advancements in recent years, the LcS strain now has a new name. New developments have enable scientists to reclassify bacteria into more groups, hence the name change. Scientific tools are used to look at the genetics of bacteria and their similarities to each other. They are then put into groups allowing for greater specification. This gives scientists a better understanding of each bacteria group. The new name for Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain is Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota strain (LcS).

The LcS strain is still proven to:

survive and reach the intestines alive,
where it positively alters and increases the beneficial bacteria,
to help improve stool consistency.

So, what does this mean for us?

Not much really! The strain and benefits in Yakult are the same. However, the name on the packaging will be updated sometime this year. So, keep an eye out for that!

To put it simply, same strain just a different name!