Honey added to yogurt supports probiotic cultures for healthy digestion

If you enjoy a bowl of yogurt in the morning, adding a spoonful of honey is a delicious way to sweeten your favorite breakfast food. It also supports the probiotic cultures in the popular fermented dairy product, according to two new studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“We were interested in the culinary combination of yogurt and honey, which is common in the Mediterranean diet, and how this affects the gastrointestinal microbiome,” says Hannah Holscher, associate professor in the Department of Food Sciences and Human Nutrition, part of the College . of agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences in Illinois. She is co-author of the two studies, both published in The magazine for nutrition.

Greek yogurt and other types of yogurt contain, in addition to conventional yogurt starter cultures, also probiotic strains such as Bifidobacterium animalis. Consumption of certain probiotics can promote digestion and regular bowel movements, and can have a positive effect on mood and cognition.

“The enzymes in our mouth, stomach and intestines aid in digestion and facilitate nutrient absorption, but they also reduce the viability of microbes. That’s great when it comes to pathogens, but not necessarily when it comes to beneficial bacteria,” Holscher said. “We wanted to see if honey could help probiotic bacteria survive in the intestines.”

In the first study, “Honey varieties have a differential impact on the survival rates of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis in yogurt through simulated in vitro digestion,” the researchers conducted a laboratory experiment testing the effect of four different types of honey (lucerne, buckwheat, clover and orange blossom) on the viability of B. animalis in yogurt by simulated digestion processes. They grew microbes in petri dishes with solutions that mimicked the composition of saliva, stomach acid, intestinal bile and enzymes.

For saliva and gastric fluids, there were no differences in B. animalis survival between the honey varieties and the control treatments of yogurt mixed with sugar or water. However, yogurt with honey – especially the clover variety – helped support the survival of probiotics in the intestinal phase of digestion.

Next, the researchers wanted to test their findings in a clinical study entitled “Honey added to yogurt containing Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DN-173 010/CNCM I-2494 Supports probiotic fortification but does not shorten intestinal transit time in healthy adults: a randomized, controlled, crossover study.”

They recruited 66 healthy adults and asked them to each consume two different products for two weeks: yogurt with clover honey and pasteurized, heat-treated yogurt. Participants provided stool samples and information about their bowel movements. They also filled out questionnaires and completed tasks to evaluate their mood, cognition and general well-being.

“Our findings showed that combining honey with yogurt supported the survival of the yogurt’s probiotic bacteria in the gut, so the results of the lab study translated to real-world application in humans,” Holscher said.

However, there were no changes in intestinal transit time, bowel frequency, or any of the mood and cognition measures. Holscher said this is likely because the participants were already healthy adults with regular bowel movements, so there wasn’t much room for improvement.

The researchers also conducted a smaller follow-up study with 36 participants who consumed a third food item: yogurt with sugar. When the researchers compared the results from all three conditions, the combination of yogurt with honey retained the most probiotics, but there were no effects on health measures.

“We found that one tablespoon of honey in a serving of yogurt helps support the survival of probiotics. However, we must keep in mind that honey is an added sugar, and most Americans need to be aware of the amount of sugar in their diet to maintain survival. a healthy body weight,” she stated. “But adding a little bit of honey to unsweetened yogurt is a nice culinary combination to include in your menu rotation.”

You can also add toppings to make a yogurt parfait and support gut health and the microbiome by getting more fiber in your diet. For example, you can add berries and seeds or nuts and drizzle a little honey on top, Holscher suggested.