Can you drink yogurt when you have diarrhea?
Aug 18, 2021
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lu Chaohui
Introduction
In general, dairy products are not recommended during episodes of diarrhea. For individuals with intestinal dysbiosis, consuming yogurt may help replenish beneficial gut bacteria, thereby improving diarrhea or constipation caused by microbial imbalance. However, for patients with acute infectious diarrhea—who often receive antibiotic therapy—yogurt is sometimes consumed concurrently with antibiotics.
Yogurt is a dairy product made by fermenting animal milk with lactic acid bacteria. It contains various probiotics that aid intestinal digestion and nutrient absorption, and accelerate intestinal metabolism to help eliminate toxins and waste from the body. So, can you drink yogurt when experiencing diarrhea? Below, we address this question.
Can you drink yogurt when experiencing diarrhea?
Generally speaking, consuming dairy products—including yogurt—is not recommended during an episode of diarrhea. For individuals with disrupted gut microbiota, yogurt may help replenish beneficial intestinal bacteria and thus improve diarrhea or constipation caused by microbial imbalance. However, for patients with acute infectious diarrhea—often treated with antibiotics—consuming yogurt concurrently may significantly reduce the efficacy of its probiotics, as antibiotics suppress these beneficial bacteria. Moreover, yogurt contains a relatively high amount of fat, which may further burden the intestines and impede recovery in acute diarrhea cases. Additionally, yogurt must be stored at low temperatures; therefore, patients with acute diarrhea should avoid cold or raw foods.
Knowledge Extension: Potential Risks of Long-Term Yogurt Consumption
1. Excessive gastric acid secretion
Although yogurt is highly nutritious, excessive consumption may stimulate overproduction of gastric acid, irritating the gastric mucosa. In severe cases, it may even contribute to gastric mucosal ulcers. Furthermore, as an acidic food, excessive yogurt intake may disrupt the body’s acid-base balance, adversely affecting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
2. Weight gain
Yogurt contains numerous live bacterial strains that help maintain a healthy balance of beneficial gut flora, promote gastrointestinal motility, enhance digestion, and alleviate constipation—key reasons for its popularity. Nevertheless, long-term yogurt consumption should be moderated and kept within reasonable limits.
3. Elevated blood calcium levels
Since yogurt is rich in calcium, excessive intake may lead to hypercalcemia, which poses risks to overall health. Individuals with pre-existing gastrointestinal disorders may also experience increased gastric acid secretion, impairing gastric mucosal function; thus, yogurt intake should be moderate. Moreover, yogurt should never be consumed on an empty stomach. Also note: yogurt must be refrigerated and must not be heated.
The above outlines whether yogurt is suitable during diarrhea. We hope this information is helpful to you.
