Adding a Spoonful of Honey into Yoghurt Gives Probiotics Boost

Incorporating a spoonful of honey into yoghurt might aid in the survival of probiotics during digestion more effectively than other honey varieties. However, researchers indicate that the increased survival of probiotics due to honey doesn’t automatically lead to better digestive health. Nutrition specialists suggest that adding a little honey to yoghurt can enhance its taste for those who find yoghurt unappealing on its own.

Adding a Spoonful of Honey into Yoghurt Gives Probiotics  a Boost

Yoghurt contains probiotics that help promote gut health and immune function, beneficial effects of yoghurts and probiotic fermented kinds of milk and their functional food potential a pair of new studies show that adding honey might help these live bacteria survive longer in the gut.

The first study, published in March, found that clover honey in yoghurt best preserved probiotic survival during a simulated digestive process compared to alfalfa, buckwheat, and orange blossom honey.

“This isn’t a novel food pairing; it’s fairly common. But what I found fascinating was that there may be some functional benefits of putting these foods together,” Hannah Holscher, PhD, RD, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and senior author of the studies, told Verywell.

In the second study, researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial with healthy adults to see if consuming clover honey and yoghurt provides certain health benefits. However, they didn’t find evidence that this combination supported gastrointestinal health, cognition, or mood.

Digestion Destroys Some Live Bacteria

Healthy gut bacteria help protect the body from certain harmful bacteria such as Salmonella.

“Our digestive enzymes, the acid in our stomach, and the bile secreted from our intestines play a role in helping protect us from having large amounts of those microbes that can bloom in the intestines, create toxins, and result in foodborne illness,” Holscher said.

While digestion also destroys some of the good bacteria found in fermented foods like yoghurt, most probiotic bacteria survive the process. Holscher’s study found that adding a tablespoon of clover honey to a serving of yoghurt helps boost probiotic survival in the gut. However, you can still get benefits from yoghurt without adding honey.

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Dolores Woods, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, said most people who regularly eat fermented foods don’t need to worry about the digestive process destroying the good bacteria.

“If you are eating it every day, or are just making sure you’re incorporating these foods, it’s going to help your gut regardless,” Woods told Verywell.

“By adding honey to yoghurt, the number of probiotic bacteria was slightly greater than when the yoghurt was consumed without honey. However, the enhancement in probiotic survival did not result in a digestive health benefit,” Holscher said.

Both studies were at least partially funded by the National Honey Board, but Holscher said the group was not involved in interpreting the results or writing the manuscript.

Spoonful of Honey into Yoghurt: Use Honey in Moderation

In addition to probiotics, yoghurt is also a good source of calcium, protein, phosphorus, and B vitamins. Some studies have shown that consuming yoghurt and other fermented milk products can protect against heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

If you want the health benefits of yoghurt but don’t enjoy its taste, adding a small amount of honey along with fruit and nuts may help.

However, Holscher said to keep in mind that honey is an added sugar. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting added sugars to less than 10% of the total daily caloric intake.

“A spoonful of honey, which is what we studied, is around 64 calories, and the vast majority of that is sugar,” Holscher said. “Depending on how many calories you need each day, that could easily be at least a third of the added sugars you’d want to have in your diet.”

Woods said it’s better to add the honey yourself instead of buying honey-flavoured yoghurts, as those products may contain artificial sweeteners.

“I would avoid those and just stick to something plain, whether it’s a regular plain yoghurt or a plain Greek yoghurt, and then add the honey or fruit to flavour it. I think that’s a better way to go,” Woods said.

If you regularly eat yoghurt for its probiotic benefits, adding honey could give the bacteria a slight boost. Clover honey, in particular, has been found to help probiotics survive digestion better than other types of honey. However, additional research shows this doesn’t necessarily lead to noticeable improvements in digestion or overall health. You can still reap the benefits of yoghurt without honey, but if you enjoy the combination, keep the added sugar in check by using a small amount.