For individuals over nine, three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt is recommended per day, though as little as one serving of yogurt contains probiotics. Yogurt is often at the top of the probiotic foods list.
But at least two servings per day would be needed to achieve these benefits. Yoptimal contains Bifidobacterium lactis BB12+ and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, which decrease cavity-causing bacteria and may improve glycemic control and cholesterol levels in diabetics. One-half to two servings per day would be needed.
Why it's good for you: A fermented food, yogurt naturally contains lots of probiotic cultures that strengthen the digestive tract. Some Greek yogurt also boasts added probiotics like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei that may help increase the good bacteria in your gut.
Even though the strains of naturally-occurring probiotics in yogurt are beneficial, your yogurt may simply not have enough of it to be helpful. In order to receive the full benefit of probiotic potency, you'd need to eat more than a dozen yogurts to match the potency of an adult dose of LoveBug probiotics.
Study finds 2 to 25 servings of yogurt per day would need to be consumed to offer any health benefits.
If you want to make sure that your yogurt has probiotics, check the label and look for “active live cultures.” Another disadvantage is that there it can be difficult to estimate the amount of probiotics in your cup of yogurt. You may need to eat at least two or three servings before noticing the benefits.
Kefir contains more probiotics than any yogurt. With up to 61 different strains of microbes, it can be an excellent source of probiotics.
With the four recommended times mentioned above, the best options to consume yogurt are in the morning or on an empty stomach. This is because the good bacteria or probiotics in yogurt must reach the large intestine alive to maintain digestive efficiency and health.
It all comes down to the amounts of probiotic bacteria in the product, the variety of strains, whether they survive passage through your stomach, how 'live' the bacteria are, and many other factors. In most cases, probiotic supplements are more effective than yogurt for providing the health benefits you require.
Many of the bacterial strains within probiotics already exist in your gut microbiome. Even though the bacteria may be familiar to your body, it is possible to experience side effects from taking large amounts of probiotics. You may experience bloating, gas, nausea, or diarrhea when taking high amounts of probiotics.
Improving gut health
Greek yogurt contains probiotics. These are good bacteria that may restore a healthy bacterial balance within the gut.
Is there any harm in eating yogurt? Eating two to three containers of yogurt every day can add around 500 calories and close to 100 grams of sugar to the daily diet. This can cause unwanted weight gain and increase the risk of diabetes.
Best Probiotic Yogurt in Australia
Danone Activia is an excellent choice for those with easily upset stomachs and includes the most probiotics out of all the yoghurts I've analysed. Vaalia is another fantastic option, containing three different probiotics in every 150g serving.
"By eating yogurt every day, you continue to supply your GI tract with healthy bacteria. These healthy bacteria prevent 'bad' bacteria from taking over, which leads to improved gut and immune health."
Taking too many probiotics can cause mild discomfort
Taking more than a usual dose — 1 to 10 billion colony forming units (CFUs) — of probiotics doesn't necessarily mean better results and, instead, might provoke some mildly uncomfortable side effects.
Chobani® Probiotic yogurt contains billions of probiotics and a unique combination of scientifically confirmed probiotic strains, including LGG®, made with digestive health and immune systems in mind.
Yogurt can be a nutritious choice regardless of whether you choose Greek or regular. They both have protein, calcium and probiotics (the good bacteria that help keep your gut healthy). Choosing the plain variety for both types of yogurts is recommended.
Another study showed that four weeks of probiotic yogurt consumption by healthy adults increased gut content of probiotic Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria strains while not significantly altering microbial community structure [5].
Vasant Lad notes that yogurt shouldn't be paired with milk. In addition to this, he also lists down a couple of everyday foods, that you may have been combining all your life with yogurt but shouldn't be! These include sour fruits, melons, fish, mango, starches, cheese and bananas.
Combining the potassium found in bananas with high protein foods like yogurt (especially Greek yogurt) helps build muscle and replenish amino acids that are depleted during exercise. So enjoy the easy-to-grab pair on your way home from the gym or add them to your post-workout smoothies.
Eating yogurt or fermented milk products on an empty stomach forms hydrochloric acid. This kills the lactic acid bacteria present in these milk products and leads to acidity. Hence, eating these products should be avoided on an empty stomach.
While both Yakult and yogurt are fermented dairy products, Yakult is considered to be far much better than yogurt. The main reason is that Yakult contains a different probiotic strain than yogurt, which is acid-resistant and thus alive once it reaches the intestines, where it can confer its health benefits.
Yakult is a fermented dairy drink that contains probiotic cultures rather than yogurt cultures. The main difference between yogurt and probiotic cultures is that probiotics must have scientifically proven health benefits while yogurts do not.
If you are looking to boost your protein intake or prefer a thicker yogurt, Greek yogurt is a great option, however, regular yogurt is equally as nutrient-dense and rich in probiotics.