--- title: Is Yogurt Good for Constipation? description: Yogurt and constipation is a complex topic. 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July 12, 2022 In [Gut Health](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/tag/gut-health) [0 Comment](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/is-yogurt-good-for-constipation#comments-listing) ### ![Is yogurt good for constipation-1](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Is%20yogurt%20good%20for%20constipation-1.jpg?width=870&name=Is%20yogurt%20good%20for%20constipation-1.jpg) Is Yogurt Good for Constipation? Jokes about constipation are commonplace, but at the same time, if you experience regular constipation, you know it can be extremely uncomfortable. And there’s the [25 - 45 million Americans](https://aboutibs.org/what-is-ibs/facts-about-ibs/#:~:text=IBS%20affects%20between%2025%20and,in%20the%20community%20are%20male.) who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a functional disorder that affects the large intestine so your digestive system doesn’t work as it should. It’s common for people with IBS to go back and forth between both extremes and experience alternating episodes of constipation and diarrhea. Symptoms range from moderate to severe.1 While there are over-the-counter and prescription medicines you can turn to, many doctors recommend food and physical activity as the ideal solution for constipation relief. What foods are best to aid in relief? Yogurt is often touted as beneficial for digestion – but it’s also a dairy product, which for some, can be constipating.2 So, which is it? Is yogurt good for constipation, or does it cause constipation? #### What is constipation? First, confused about what exactly constipation is? To put it simply, constipation means that your bowel movements are tough and happen less often than normal. It’s usually caused by eating foods that are too low in fiber. Foods that contain a fair amount of fiber move through your intestine faster, and fiber itself acts like a scrub that cleans any build up in your intestines. If your body doesn’t get enough of this fiber, this build-up can cause blockage, leading to discomfort in your bowel. And currently in America, an estimated 95% of adults and children are fiber deficient: meaning, they don’t consume recommended amounts of fiber.6 In IBS, the cause of constipation becomes a bit more complicated. The intestinal muscles that typically move food and waste through your body spasm: the muscles’ contractions are longer, stronger, and often painful. These spasms also interrupt the rhythm of the digestive tract. If these longer, stronger contractions slow down food’s movement, you become constipated. If they speed it up, food moves through too quickly and you have diarrhea.1 #### Does yogurt cause constipation? So does yogurt actually worsen constipation? The short answer is: rarely. Studies show that high intakes of dairy products can worsen constipation.2 Milk contains a fair amount of casein (a slow-digesting protein) that is not easily digested. Yogurt does contain a lot of milk, meaning it also contains a large portion of casein. However, unless you are eating pounds of yogurt a day, it is highly unlikely that it’s harming your digestive system. Why? One word: probiotics. #### Can yogurt help relieve constipation? Yogurt certainly won't hurt in the battle for relief! Yogurts often contain probiotics, which means it introduces good and helpful bacteria into your gut. Probiotics are types of microorganisms, including bacteria, that provide a health benefit to the “host” (that’s you). A great dietary source of probiotics is unpasteurized fermented foods, which can include yogurt. #### Can I count on yogurt as my only source of probiotics? Consuming probiotics can be used to help regulate inflammation, immune function, digestion and heart health.3 Studies have also found that probiotics often helps to aid in reducing bloating and severity of IBS symptoms.4 But because yogurts contain just a few strains of probiotics, you will need to consume other sources to [help get the probiotic diversity you need](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/probiotics-from-yogurt)—both for [a healthy microbiome](https://www.scdprobiotics.com/pages/what-is-a-microbiome) and to fully combat digestive issues. But yogurt is still a healthy, enjoyable way to get some of the probiotics you need! That said, not all yogurts are equal. You want to be mindful of a few things when shopping for yogurt. ![Can constipation be relieved by yogurt?](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/hubfs/big-sugary-commercial-yogurt-bad-jpg-1.jpeg) #### What type of yogurt is best? When choosing what type of yogurt to get, doctors and nutritionists recommend getting [full-fat probiotic yogurt](https://alstondairy.co.uk/article/why-you-should-be-buying-full-fat-yoghurt/#:~:text=According%20to%20recent%20studies%2C%20eating,that%20mount%20up%20the%20calories.). When searching labels look for the phrase “live and active culture” which will often contain the following strains of bacteria: - *Bifidobacterium lactis* - *Lactobacillus plantarum* - *Streptococcus thermophilus* - *Lactobacillus reuteri* - *Bifidobacterium longum* These particular strains have been shown to improve stool consistency. But be careful. A lot of yogurts also contain lots of sugar—sometimes they can contain more sugar than a bowl of ice cream! “Bad” bacteria thrive on sugar, so the key is to find yogurt with healthy probiotic strains, and almost no sugar. Some tasty yogurts that house these bacteria include: - Maple Hill Creamery - Stonefield Organic Whole Milk Probiotic Yogurt - Dannon Activia Probiotic Yogurt #### Additional foods that may aid in relief If you’re constipated and only turning to yogurt for relief (consuming tons of it), the more pressing issue may be that yogurt lacks fiber. When it comes to eating for a healthy digestive system and microbiome, fiber is by far the most important nutrient.5 Foods that contain a fair amount of fiber move through your intestine faster, and one of the things fiber does is acts like a scrub that cleans any build up in your intestines. It is also the preferred source of food for your beneficial gut microbes. The more diverse sources of fiber you eat, the easier it is for many diverse gut microbes to eat well and thrive. If you are indeed eating a ton a yogurt, make sure you’re not sacrificing eating more fiber-rich foods. There are many other foods that we recommend that are also rich in fiber and can help your microbiome. To eat for your gut microbiome, for digestion, and to help constipation, make sure your diet is full of: ![fermented foods for constipation](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/fermented-foods-kimchi-yogurt-pickles-kombucha-in-bowls-jpg-1.jpeg?width=400&name=fermented-foods-kimchi-yogurt-pickles-kombucha-in-bowls-jpg-1.jpeg) - Fruits - Vegetables - Legumes - Whole Grains - Nuts and Seeds - Fermented Foods, as a dietary source of probiotics, including: - Kombucha - Kimchi - Tempeh - Natto - Kefir - Multi-species probiotic supplement Yogurt can be greatly beneficial to your health, but it also only contributes a small portion of the variety of probiotics you need. To give you the best chance for relief from any uncomfortable digestive symptoms, we also recommend boosting your intake of probiotics from supplements such as our own drinkable and fermented probiotic, which has zero sugar and houses a diverse ecosystem of 11 live and active cultures. [![Essential Probiotics Tastes Terrible Actually Works Digestive Improvement in Seven Days](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/19514145/f3e30cca-a1f8-4ac5-9d7e-a6efb6e1d69f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/19514145/f3e30cca-a1f8-4ac5-9d7e-a6efb6e1d69f) **Sources:** 1. [https://aboutibs.org/what-is-ibs/facts-about-ibs/](https://aboutibs.org/what-is-ibs/facts-about-ibs/) 2. Crowley, Elesa T., Lauren T. Williams, Tim K. Roberts, Richard H. Dunstan, and Peter D. Jones. “Does milk cause constipation? A crossover dietary trial.” Nutrients 5, no. 1 (2013): 253-266. 3. The gut microbiome in health and in disease [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4290017/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4290017/) 4. Effectiveness of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome: Updated systematic review with meta-analysis [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4356930/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4356930/) 5. Nat Med 27, 321–332 (2021) [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-01183-8](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-01183-8) 6. US Department of Agriculture; Agricultural Research Service. What We Eat in America: Nutrient intakes from food by gender and age. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-10. [https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/Pdf/0910/Table\_1\_Nin\_Gen\_09.Pdf](https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/Pdf/0910/Table_1_Nin_Gen_09.Pdf)   [Gut Health](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/tag/gut-health) ### Sale Products [![30 Day Supply Liquid Probiotic Supplement](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/hubfs/EP11.png)](https://www.scdprobiotics.com/products/scd-essential-probiotics-liquid-probiotic-supplement) [SCD Essential Probiotics - 30 Day Supply Liquid Probiotic Supplement 16.3 fl. oz](https://www.scdprobiotics.com/products/scd-essential-probiotics-liquid-probiotic-supplement) $35.59 [![SCD Probiotic All-Purpose Cleaning Concentrate-Lemongrass](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/hubfs/cleaningLG-1.jpg)](https://www.scdprobiotics.com/products/scd-probiotic-all-purpose-cleaning-concentrate-lemongrass) [SCD Probiotic® All-Purpose Cleaning Concentrate – Lemongrass, Concentrated, Natural Household Cleaner - 16.9 oz](https://www.scdprobiotics.com/products/scd-probiotic-all-purpose-cleaning-concentrate-lemongrass) $17.39 [![SCD Bio Ag - Microbial Inoculant & Soil Amendment](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/hubfs/bio-ag_b8f8172c-389a-4b3e-9240-e27bb18ab0c0-1.jpg)](https://www.scdprobiotics.com/products/scd-bio-ag-soil-amendment) [SCD Bio Ag - Microbial Inoculant & Soil Amendment](https://www.scdprobiotics.com/products/scd-bio-ag-soil-amendment) $19.75 [Share on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/is-yogurt-good-for-constipation) Share on Twitter [Share on Email](mailto:?body=https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/is-yogurt-good-for-constipation) [Share on Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/is-yogurt-good-for-constipation) [Can you get all your probiotics from yogurt?](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/probiotics-from-yogurt) [Back to News](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com) [Which yogurt has the most probiotics?  A guide to probiotics in yogurt](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/which-yogurt-has-the-most-probiotics) #### Related Articles ##### [Probiotic Foods vs. Probiotic Supplements: What’s Better for Your Gut?](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/are-probiotic-foods-better-than-probiotic-supplements) June 12 2025 ##### [Probiotics and Anxiety: How Your Gut Bacteria Affect Mental Health](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/probiotics-and-anxiety-how-your-gut-bacteria-affect-mental-health) March 25 2025 ##### [Benefits of Elderberry Backed by Science: A Natural Powerhouse for Wellness](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/benefits-of-elderberry-backed-by-science-a-natural-powerhouse-for-wellness) January 17 2025 ##### [What Are Probiotics and Postbiotics, and Why Are They Essential for Gut Health?](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/what-are-probiotics-and-postbiotics-and-why-are-they-essential-for-gut-health) December 20 2024 ##### [Probiotics for C. diff: Prevention and Treatment](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/probiotics-for-c.-diff-prevention-and-treatment) May 30 2024 ![Blue-Black-SCD-Probiotics-Discovery-Call-Business-Card](https://blog.scdprobiotics.com/hubfs/Blue-Black-SCD-Probiotics-Discovery-Call-Business-Card.jpg) ### Let's Talk! 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