Digestive Health
Dairy foods and digestive health
Good gut health starts from the inside out. Dairy foods, especially fermented ones like yoghurt, support beneficial bacteria, maintain healthy digestion and contribute to overall wellbeing. Let’s dive into how dairy makes a difference.
Inside your digestive system lives a whole community of microorganisms called the gut microbiome. It plays a major role in breaking down food, absorbing nutrients and influencing overall health. Research has linked gut health to everything from metabolism and immunity to conditions like obesity and inflammatory bowel disease.
But here’s where it gets interesting: what you eat can help support a healthy gut too.
The power of fermented foods
Fermentation has long been used to preserve food but it also offers health benefits. This natural process allows microorganisms to break down raw ingredients, transforming them into something new. For example, live cultures added to milk, change its flavour, texture and nutrients to produce the yoghurt we know and love.
As these live cultures multiply, they produce beneficial compounds that can support healthy digestion and maintain gut health. Some fermented foods also contain probiotics—live bacteria that, when consumed in adequate amounts, can help maintain a healthy balance of gut microbes and deliver a specific health benefit.
How can I get more probiotics into my diet?
Probiotics are easy to work into your diet. Probiotic-containing yoghurt, kefir and cultured drinks are some of the best sources, while kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi offer non-dairy options.
Dairy stands out because its natural proteins and fats help probiotics survive digestion and reach the gut. But not all fermented foods offer the same benefits—only those with live, active cultures in adequate amounts can make it through the digestive system where they can have the desired effect.