Yogurt. The bacteria that turn milk to yogurt are also good for your digestive tract. All yogurt helps keep it healthy and keeps you regular, but yogurt with live cultures or probiotics may be even better at helping you go.
Probiotics: The good bacteria can help you go.
Kimball says any yogurt — not just those that advertise they're good for gastrointestinal health — can be a good source of probiotics that help relieve constipation. “I usually look for a low-sugar Greek yogurt,” she says.
May support gut health
Greek yogurt that is labelled 'contains live cultures', provides beneficial bacteria known as probiotics, which when eaten regularly may support gut health. This is because regular inclusion of fermented foods, including yogurt, appears to increase the microbial diversity of the gut.
Minimally processed dairy, such as Greek yogurt, contain great sources of calcium and protein. The probiotics in Greek yogurt also pack a great punch for keeping your digestive system healthy.
If someone with IBS tolerates dairy products, plain and unsweetened Greek yogurt is a nutritious dietary addition. Greek yogurt contains live probiotics—bacteria that offer many health benefits, including for gut health. If you are lactose intolerant, you might still be able to enjoy Greek yogurt.
Gut bacteria and endotoxins
Yogurt is thought to reduce inflammation by improving the integrity of the intestinal lining. And, by bolstering this layer of tissue, endotoxins — produced by gut bacteria — cannot cross into the bloodstream and promote inflammation.
The bacteria that turn milk to yogurt are also good for your digestive tract. All yogurt helps keep it healthy and keeps you regular, but yogurt with live cultures or probiotics may be even better at helping you go.
Yogurt is an excellent source of beneficial bacteria (probiotics). In IBD, there seems to be an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract – eating probiotic-rich foods can help to restore the proper balance. Chose a yogurt with live, active cultures.
Consuming one to two cups of lowfat Greek yogurt daily can be a healthy addition to your diet without making it difficult to maintain your weight.
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.
While it's certainly worthwhile to eat yogurt as a healthy snack and a good source of protein, you're much better off getting your daily dose of probiotics from a quality supplement.
Yogurt, which contains probiotics as well as calcium and vitamin D—two nutrients that lower your risk for colon cancer—is a natural disease-fighter. It is also rich in fiber and other byproducts that promote healthy bowel activity and help guard against polyps and tumors in the colon.
In large quantities, dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, can cause many people to become constipated.
Try yogurt with probiotics, live bacteria that's good for your digestive system. It may help relieve constipation.
There are certain foods that can contribute to inflammation in the colon. Red meat, fried foods, refined sugar and carbohydrates, alcohol and coffee can all contribute to inflammation.
Alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods can irritate anyone's colon. So the problems can be worse if you have inflammatory bowel disease. Fat, sugar and fiber are all harder to digest. So you may need to stick to foods that are low in these categories or eat sources with higher contents in moderation.
“Yogurt is associated with decreased inflammation, decreased insulin resistance and it may prevent type 2 diabetes,” Dr. Hu says. Nutrition researchers believe yogurt's anti-inflammatory power comes from the probiotics it contains, but that has yet to be confirmed with rigorous trials, he says.
Greek yogurt is an inexpensive, quick, and easy way to get protein into your diet—but it may be making you bloated, as well. Lactose, which is found in many dairy products, especially yogurt, milk, and ice cream, may give you a bloated belly if you are lactose intolerant3 .
If you eat Greek or Icelandic yogurt, like Skyr, you're getting gut-friendly probiotics to help keep nausea and stomach problems at bay. Try a small helping of these yogurts before head out the door or when you feel nausea coming on.