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Why Most Yogurt Turns into Accutane in Your Body (and how to choose yogurt at the store or make your own) is an incredibly important article especially for anyone who buys yogurt. Streptococcus thermophilus didn’t used to be added to yogurt, but now it’s in almost all commercially made brands.
This article is due in part to the insights and work of Dr. Garrett Smith who shared some of its valuable content in two of his recent YouTube videos. So a big thanks to Dr. Smith!
I buy yogurt for our teenage son, and because of Dr. Smith’s correct understanding of how compounds behave and convert, I switched which brand of yogurt I buy. I used to make my own, and that’s an excellent solution as well, as long as you’re careful which probiotic you use!
13-cis Retinoic Acid = Isotretinoin = Accutane
Some bacteria (probiotics) can chemically change nutrients (in this case a precursor to vitamin A, retinol) into different forms inside the body.
In this case, Streptococcus thermophilus, added to almost all commercial yogurts, was shown to strongly change natural vitamin A into a different form called 13-cis retinol.
That matters because 13-cis retinol is turned by the body into 13-cis retinoic acid, a very powerful vitamin A compound also known as isotretinoin (also known as Accutane).
So even if someone is not taking a retinoid drug directly, certain bacteria help create more biologically active retinoid compounds from ordinary vitamin A.
This study shows that microbes can significantly alter vitamin A chemistry.
Researchers already know that gut bacteria affect hormones, neurotransmitters, inflammation and immunity. This study shows that they also influence how vitamin A behaves in the body.
Here’s what happens:
- In yogurt, natural vitamin A is found mainly as retinyl esters, which release retinol during digestion; a bacteria called Streptococcus thermophilus converts all-trans-retinol into 13-cis-retinol during fermentation.
- Your body further processes this altered form into 13-cis retinoic acid, the same chemical compound as isotretinoin, the specific chemical compound used in Accutane (the acne medication).
When a bacterial culture produces 13-cis-retinoic acid, it is producing the same molecule used in isotretinoin medication. 13-cis-retinoic acid and isotretinoin are exactly the same chemical compound. Isotretinoin is the generic pharmaceutical name for the medication commonly known as Accutane.
Many studies link isotretinoin (Accutane, or 13-cis-retinoic acid) and inflammatory bowel disease.
In short, 13-cis-retinoic acid and isotretinoin cause leaky gut. We do not want this bacterial culture in our yogurt at all, and certainly not as the main and dominant strain.
Studies on the damage 13 cis retinoic acid does
There are several PubMed-indexed papers and reviews examining the adverse effects of 13-cis retinoic acid (isotretinoin/Accutane) on the brain, mood and reproductive system as well.
Most importantly, in terms of acute dangers, is its link to birth defects. Pregnant women are advised to avoid not only all sources of high vitamin A, but also isotretinoin and other oral retinoids.
These medicines are so dangerous for a baby that users must agree to use birth control while taking them to avoid becoming pregnant. Miscarriages and disabilities are among the many possible outcomes for babies whose mothers take oral isotretinoin during pregnancy — not something to mess around with when it comes to dietary choices.
Brief history of yogurt
Historically, traditional fermented milks were made using diverse communities of naturally occurring bacteria and yeasts. These ancestral cultures varied by region and climate, often including Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc and Pediococcus in cooler climates.
In warmer climates, ancestral strains like Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Limosilactobacillus fermentum and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus dominated traditional dairy.
Rather than relying on isolated bacterial strains, traditional fermentation involved complex microbial communities that were preserved and passed down through generations. Unlike modern factory yogurt, ancestral ferments often combined bacteria with native dairy yeasts (fungal-lactic fermentation).
Industrialization stripped out these diverse multi-species ecosystems because wild consortia are unpredictable. Wild yeasts can cause gas buildup that swells plastic grocery packaging, and variable bacteria populations alter the thickness and sourness from week to week.
Specifically, with the industrialization of yogurt in the early 1900s, manufacturers increasingly replaced diverse traditional cultures with standardized combinations of isolated bacteria, particularly Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. These two bacteria became the foundation of modern commercial yogurt because they produce predictable fermentation, consistent texture and uniform flavor. As a result, the microbial diversity characteristic of traditional fermented milks is absent from conventional commercial yogurt.
Streptococcus thermophilus is now almost always the first ingredient in yogurt cultures, used in great quantity and dominating the other flora. S. thermophilus wakes up first, grows quickly and creates the right environment for L. bulgaricus, making yogurt making easy and predictable for commercial makers.
Oddly, it’s the law …
The most surprising discovery from my research is that, since 1981, U.S. law has required all products labeled as yogurt to contain both Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
I don’t know how Nancy’s manages to make one yogurt product (and fly under the radar?) without this combination, but I’m so glad they do … (more about this below).
How to make your own yogurt with safe probiotics
The best (easy to find) probiotics to use for homemade yogurt are:
- Lactobacillus Bulgaricus — An ancient strain that’s easy to source.
- Lactobacillus Reuteri — Found naturally in humans, this strain is helpful for restoring gut health and even overcoming H. pylori. To make yogurt with this probiotic, a longer lower temperature very controlled environment is recommended. Oftentimes, a prebiotic is also used with this strain to help ensure success, such as potato starch.
To make an heirloom multi-strain mesophilic yogurt, try this starter with raw milk, or this one.
Which yogurt to buy
If you want to buy “safe” yogurt, I have only found one brand that doesn’t include Streptococcus thermophilus, and that’s Nancy’s. But not all their products exclude it! Here are their specific products that exclude the undesirable probiotic:
- Organic Nancy’s 100% Grass-fed Whole Milk Plain Yogurt
- Organic Nancy’s Probiotic Kefir
I’ve read the labels on almost every single yogurt at the grocery store, on more than one occasion! In a few cases, I found brands that didn’t contain Streptococcus thermophilus. But every time I found one, it contained added vitamin D instead!
Also avoid yogurt fortified with vitamin D
Remember to also avoid yogurts fortified with vitamin D. I discuss the concerns with supplemental vitamin D in several of my articles; you can read more about it here. (I plan another article on the isolated topic to share more studies and details.)
In short, our bodies are designed to make vitamin D in the skin in response to light.
Vitamin D also plays a powerful role in calcium and mineral regulation. When vitamin D levels become excessively high or mineral balance is disrupted, the body increases calcium release from bone in order to maintain tightly regulated blood calcium levels. Research has specifically found that high vitamin D levels in the blood, as happen with supplementation or fortification of foods, increases bone resorption and decreases bone mineralization.
Vitamin D is also the main and active ingredient in d-CONN (“guaranteed to kill” is their slogan) — the mouse and rat poison.
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