Kickstarting your day with a bowl of yogurt is a simple yet effective way to support your gut health. This fermented dairy product is rich in probiotic cultures, which help maintain a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut microbiome, promoting better digestion and overall well-being. While yogurt alone offers significant gut health benefits, new research from the University of Illinois suggests that adding honey as a topping could enhance these effects even more.
The studies from the University of Illinois indicate that honey can support the probiotic cultures in yogurt, potentially boosting its gut health benefits. So, what does this mean for your breakfast routine? Should you start drizzling honey over your morning yogurt? In this article, we explore the research and discuss what these findings could mean for you.
The Study
The main challenge with yogurt probiotics is ensuring they survive the journey from our mouths to our gut microbiome. Researchers explain that enzymes in our mouths, stomachs, and intestines, which are crucial for digesting and absorbing nutrients, can also reduce the number of probiotics that reach our gut. However, after conducting three studies, researchers discovered that adding a small amount of honey can help support the survival of these probiotics.
In the first study, conducted in vitro to simulate the digestive process in the mouth, stomach, and intestines, researchers confirmed their hypothesis that clover honey could enhance the survival rate of probiotics during digestion. This proof-of-concept study was a significant initial step, though it was not conducted on humans.
Building on these findings, the researchers conducted a second study to determine if the effect would hold true in 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 significantly improved the survival rate of probiotics compared to yogurt alone.
In a small follow-up study, participants consumed yogurt sweetened with regular sugar. Even in this study, honey was found to have the greatest positive 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 fantastic 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 rich in powerful antioxidants. Additionally, research shows that honey is better for managing blood sugar levels compared to regular sugar.
However, it's important to remember that honey is still a form of added sugar. Consuming too much added sugar can increase your risk of heart disease, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes. That said, a small amount of honey mixed with yogurt should be safe for most people.
To further boost your yogurt, consider adding more than just honey. Nuts or nut butter can provide healthy fats and protein, while your favorite fruits can add fiber and antioxidants. Whatever combination you choose, enjoy the added gut health benefits that a small drizzle of honey can bring.