Public Relations Office Reveal How “Yakult 1000″ Sold over 200 Million Bottles

Yakult Honsha Public Relations Office Yakult Honsha’s Public Relations Office Yakult Honsha’s Public Relations Office!

In this time of the Corona disaster, when the topic of “health trend” seems to have become a greeting, “Yakult 1000” has sold over 200 million bottles in just six months since it was launched nationwide. Yakult1000 “has already been sold more than 200 million bottles in the first six months since it was launched nationwide.

In recent years, various soft drinks and dairy product manufacturers have been releasing “new products” into the lactic acid bacteria market. The fact is that Yakult1000 is selling by a long shot. Is it an exaggeration to say that it is a hot topic When I first searched for the product, I found that it was also the most talked about product in the market.

• Celebrities are all raving about it!
• Matsuko said drinks two bottles a day 
• Sold out and can’t buy it at all.
• Chisako Takashima said on Instagram that she loves to drink it.

And so on, and word of mouth from TV and SNS seems to have already spread. I didn’t think I was the only one who didn’t know about it at all? And so on, surprising data and articles appear one after another.

So, Yakult1000, which has sold over 200 million units in six months, is now a social phenomenon! We then conducted a survey on Yakult1000 via Twitter among about 50 homemakers with high sensitivity to health information.We found that a whopping 31 of them answered that they had taken Yakult1000! I knew it. It seems that “selling well” means just that. Perhaps Yakult1000 has already reached such a level that it would be embarrassing to say I have never had it?. As we proceeded with the interview, the reality that Yakult1000 is really a mega-hit lactobacillus drink gradually became more and more real.

Not “bowel movement” but “sleep”

However, Yakult is known for its “lactobacilli,” and many people may wonder what this has to do with “sleep,” let alone bowel movements. Many people may not have a clear idea of what Yakult 1000 has to do with sleep. We asked Mr. Maruyama of Yakult Honsha’s Public Relations Office and Mr. Watanabe, who was involved in the development of Yakult1000, about the effectiveness of Yakult1000 and the secret behind its specific effects. We asked them about the power of “Lactobacillus shirota strain (L. casei YIT 9029).

 

The Lactobacillus shirota strain” is a lactic acid bacteria successfully cultivated by Dr. Minoru Shirota, the founder of Yakult and a doctor of medicine, in 1930. It is resistant to digestive juices such as gastric juice and bile, and can reach the intestines alive,” says Mr. Maruyama of the Public Relations Office.

Incidentally, the number of lactobacilli in Yakult has gradually increased up to the present, from 6.5 billion in 65ml to 15 billion and 20 billion since 2000, when the bottle was changed from glass to plastic. In 1999, “Yakult 400” containing 40 billion lactobacilli in 80ml was launched, and after another 20 years of research and development, “Yakult 1000” was born.

What is the brain-gut correlation and the nervous system that links lactobacilli and “sleep”?

Yakult 1000 is a dairy lactobacillus drink containing 100 billion Lactobacillus shirota strains per 100 ml bottle, the highest density ever found in Yakult products. When fourth-year medical students drank this drink before their entrance examinations, they showed a difference in stress and sleep quality compared to students who drank a placebo (a beverage that tastes similar to the placebo). (Mr. Maruyama, Public Relations Office)

It is said that “stress relief” and “improvement of sleep quality” under temporary mental stress were observed, but what in the world do stress and sleep have to do with the intestines? Do lactobacilli also “work” on the brain?

Recently, the term “brain-gut correlation” has been coined, and it is known that the brain and intestines are related via the autonomic nervous system, etc. The high-density Lactobacillus Shirota strain (L. casei YIT 9029) contained in Yakult1000 not only functions to improve the intestinal environment but also to alleviate stress and improve the quality of sleep under temporary mental stress. The functionality of “Lactobacillus Shirota strain (L. casei YIT 9029)” has been recognized as “stress relief” and “improvement of sleep quality” in situations of temporary mental stress, and is sold as a food with a functional claim that displays such functionality. 

Please understand that this is not a product for the treatment or prevention of disease, etc., and that it is only a “functional” product. However, we believe that our research to date has revealed that the high-density Lactobacillus Shirota strain in Yakult1000, which has never been seen before, may bring about these functions by apparently acting gently on the nervous system,” (Yakult1000 development manager (Mr. Watanabe, Yakult1000 developer)

In other words, lactobacilli do not “work” on the brain, but rather the high-density Lactobacillus shirota strains reach the intestines alive, acting on the autonomic nervous system and possibly improving the function of the nervous system to maintain balance.

It would be good to remember the power word “brain-gut correlation”.

Why it is better to drink it habitually

But is it necessary to drink lactobacilli every day? Do they increase by themselves in our stomachs? For those who have a high hurdle to continue taking lactobacilli every day, such a thing is also a matter of concern.

Lactobacillus is a general term for microorganisms that produce lactic acid from sugar through fermentation. It is also called good bacteria that suppress the growth of bad bacteria such as E. coli and have beneficial effects on the human body. One of these lactic acid bacteria The term “lactobacilli” is used to refer to Lactobacillus Sirota strain ‘, which is a lactobacillus, a “transit bacterium” that does not settle in the intestines. Therefore, it is effective to take it every day .  (Mr. Watanabe, development manager)

Lactobacillus shirota is a “transit bacterium,” I see. I have heard of the term “commensal bacteria. I guess we can think of it as a synonym for” commensal bacteria. In other words, Lactobacillus shirota strains are bacteria that do not stay. And if you continue to take it every day, it will alleviate stress and improve sleep. This is because there is a “brain-gut correlation.”

Y1000 sold at Convenience Stores is Something Different

I bought a bottle to try at the supermarket and found it was a little big. When I looked closer, I saw that it said ‘Y1000,’ which is different from ‘Yakult1000′” (55-year-old housewife).

Yes, Yakult1000 is a home-delivery-only product, and Y1000 is a different product that can be purchased at supermarkets and convenience stores. However, the high-density Lactobacillus Shirota strain is the same in the sense that it is a “high-function Yakult” that reaches the intestines alive, so you can rest assured that it is the same product.

Sales are far Exceeding the sales target!

Yakult1000 is currently being consumed at a rate of approximately 1.14 million bottles per day. While the sales performance of Y1000 is undisclosed at this time, it is said to be far exceeding the target of 200,000 bottles per day (from October 2021 to March 2022). It is a natural desire to see how well the Y1000 works. I can no longer contain my growing desire to experience a good night’s sleep!

However, if we are going to drink it anyway, shouldn’t we drink it in a more effective way? Which is more effective, drinking high-density lactobacilli in the morning or at night? Mr. Maruyama of Yakult Honsha’s Public Relations Office answered, “For example, people who are concerned about their sleep may take it before going to bed, and people who are concerned about stress may take it before coming to work, but the important thing is to make it a habit to take it every day. In the actual test results, we did not specify the timing of drinking, but left it up to the subjects themselves.So basically, there was no significant difference in the results no matter when they took it.

The important thing is to make daily drinking a habit.

If you are saying, “Raise your health-conscious antennae,” and then blabbering on about how hard it is to continue drinking every day, you will never see results. After all, the only way to benefit from Yakult 1000, which sold 200 million bottles in six months, is to ask a Yakult lady to help you.

Yakult1000, which cannot be bought at a convenience store, is truly a “Yakult for adults” that should be feared.