Starting your day with a bowl of yogurt is a simple way to boost your gut health. This fermented dairy product is packed with probiotic cultures that help balance the ratio of good to bad bacteria in your gut microbiome, improving digestion and overall well-being. While the gut benefits of yogurt are already impressive, new research from the University of Illinois suggests that adding one particular topping—honey—can enhance these effects even further.
The studies conducted by the University of Illinois reveal that honey can support the probiotic cultures in yogurt, potentially amplifying its gut health benefits. But what does this mean for your breakfast routine? Should you start drizzling honey on your morning yogurt? In this article, we dive into the research to uncover what these findings could mean for you.
The Study
The biggest challenge with yogurt probiotics is that they don’t always survive the trip from our mouths to our gut microbiome. According to the researchers, this is largely due to the enzymes in our mouths, stomachs, and intestines. These enzymes are essential for digesting and absorbing nutrients, but they can also reduce the number of probiotics that make it to our gut. However, after conducting three studies, researchers found that adding a small amount of honey can help support the survival of these probiotics.
In the first study, conducted in vitro to simulate oral, gastric, and intestinal digestion, researchers confirmed their hypothesis that clover honey can improve the survival rate of probiotics during digestion. This proof-of-concept study was an important first step, but it wasn’t conducted on humans.
Building on these findings, the researchers conducted a second, separate study to see if this effect would translate to humans. They tested 66 healthy adults who consumed yogurt with clover honey and yogurt without honey. The results showed that the combination of honey and yogurt did, indeed, improve the survival rate of probiotics compared to yogurt alone.
A small follow-up study was conducted, where participants consumed yogurt with regular sugar. Even in this study, honey was found to have the greatest impact on supporting probiotic survival.
How To Use Honey to Enhance Yogurt for Better Gut Health
What do these findings mean for you? For starters, a small amount of honey can be a great alternative to regular sugar or other sweeteners you might use on your yogurt. Not only is honey better for your gut than sugar, but it’s also packed with powerful antioxidants. Plus, research has found that honey is better for blood sugar levels than regular sugar.
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That said, it’s important to remember that honey is still considered a form of added sugar. Consuming too much added sugar can increase your risk of heart disease, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes. However, a small amount of honey mixed with yogurt should be safe for most people.
At the end of the day, you can enhance your bowl of yogurt with more than just honey. Consider adding nuts or nut butter for healthy fats and protein or your favorite fruit for fiber and antioxidants. Whatever combination you choose, enjoy the gut health benefits a small drizzle of honey can provide.
