Treating Constipation With Yogurt: Does It Work?

Yogurt is not only good for constipation, it’s also good for the overall health of your GI tract. Based on my many years of seeing patients, I believe that yogurt is the best cultured food for the gut.

Yogurt may not be for everyone. Some people with leaky gut syndrome can’t tolerate yogurt because some of the dairy proteins that “escape” will challenge the immune system. Other people are lactase deficient, which leads to bloating and diarrhea after eating milk products.

I’ve had some clients report that they became even more constipated when they first started eating yogurt. However, if you persist for a little while, this side effect will die off.

I recommend having a bit of yogurt at nighttime or in the middle of the day, away from food. I will often put a few blueberries or raspberries into the yogurt. Yogurt is actually quite easy to make, and there are plenty of good recipes on the internet.

If you are new to eating yogurt, my recommendation is to start with a tiny amount. At first, only have it every second or third day. You can gradually build up the dose. Don’t introduce yogurt at the same time as you make several other dietary changes. Multiple changes at one time can be hard on your gut and lead to side effects.

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Please don’t overdo it with yogurt. I’ve seen people go crazy with yogurt and end up getting quite sick and developing massive allergies.

Adding yogurt to your diet will help build up beneficial gut bacteria, particularly in the large intestine. The levels of bifidobacteria and lactobacillus increase, which improves immune function.

When I recommend yogurt, I’m referring to organic cow’s milk yogurt that isn’t full of artificial sugars or high-fructose corn syrup.

Remember that if constipation is an issue for you, adding yogurt to your diet isn’t going to fix everything. You need to follow a whole program of

healthy lifestyle habits to effectively manage constipation. You should walk at least 30 to 40 minutes every day, take coffee, tea, and alcohol out of your diet, and eat a variety of healthy foods. Those three habits alone solve about three-quarters of constipation cases.

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