Is Yogurt Good for Diarrhea?

Partly: yogurt with live cultures can be a useful food during diarrhea if you tolerate it, because the cultures help digest lactose and yogurt supplies nutrients. Evidence that yogurt prevents or shortens diarrhea is limited and mixed, however, so it is not a substitute for treatment. Prioritize fluids and medical care when needed, and consider yogurt alongside other best foods for diarrhea.

When might yogurt help with diarrhea?

Yogurt may be a reasonable food choice when you have diarrhea and feel able to eat, particularly if you normally tolerate dairy. It provides nourishment, and some people find yogurt easier to tolerate than milk.

That does not mean yogurt will stop diarrhea or address its cause. If yogurt makes your symptoms worse, leave it out and choose other foods you tolerate. You do not need to eat it to recover.

Replacing lost fluid matters more than choosing any particular food. The best drinks for diarrhea include options that can help with hydration.

How might yogurt affect diarrhea?

Yogurt is made by fermenting milk with bacteria. In yogurt containing live cultures, those bacteria can help break down lactose, the natural sugar in milk. This may make yogurt easier to digest for some people who have difficulty with lactose.

Diarrhea can temporarily make lactose harder to digest. For someone affected, lactose that is not fully digested can contribute to gas, bloating and loose stools. Yogurt still contains lactose, though the amount varies by product, and it can still cause symptoms.

Live cultures are not a guarantee that yogurt will treat diarrhea. Products differ, and evidence about a particular yogurt or culture cannot automatically be applied to every yogurt on the shelf.

What does the evidence say about yogurt for diarrhea?

A 2015 meta-analysis of two randomized trials found no consistent evidence that yogurt prevented diarrhea associated with antibiotics. The trials were small and had methodological limitations. The review studied prevention during antibiotic use, not whether yogurt treats diarrhea that has already started.

A 2009 randomized trial in 154 infants and young children with persistent diarrhea studied specialized diets in a medical unit. Children given a yogurt-based formula had reductions in stool output and diarrhea duration. The formula was part of supervised nutritional care, so the result does not establish that ordinary yogurt treats diarrhea at home.

In a 2001 trial involving 112 hospitalized children with acute diarrhea, a fermented formula and a comparable unfermented formula had similar overall success rates after rehydration. Together, these studies suggest yogurt can be part of nutritional care in some circumstances, but they do not show a reliable benefit for everyone with diarrhea.

How can you use yogurt when you have diarrhea?

If you want to try yogurt, choose a plain, pasteurized product and check the label for live cultures. Start with a small amount and see how you feel. Continue only if it agrees with you; a lactose-free yogurt may be an option if lactose seems to worsen your symptoms.

Keep eating other foods you tolerate as your appetite allows. Yogurt does not replace a balanced diet, and there is no established yogurt serving that reliably treats diarrhea.

Drink fluids regularly. An oral rehydration solution can help replace both water and salts lost through diarrhea; prepare and use it according to the package directions. Yogurt does not replace oral rehydration solution when it is needed.

For infants, continue breast milk or usual formula, and ask a clinician about rehydration and feeding. Do not substitute ordinary yogurt for breast milk, formula or a prescribed feeding plan.

Who should be careful, and when should you seek help?

Avoid yogurt made from milk if you have a milk allergy; lactose-free dairy yogurt is not safe for a milk allergy. If you have lactose intolerance or develop more bloating, pain or diarrhea after yogurt, stop eating it and discuss persistent symptoms with a clinician. If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system or a significant medical condition, seek medical advice promptly about diarrhea and use pasteurized yogurt.

Contact a clinician promptly if diarrhea occurs during or after antibiotics, particularly if it is severe or persistent. Do not stop a prescribed medication without medical advice. Young children and older adults can become dehydrated more quickly and may need earlier assessment.

Seek urgent medical care for bloody or black stools, severe abdominal pain, a high fever, or inability to keep fluids down. Signs of dehydration include very little urine, a dry mouth and dizziness. Fainting, confusion or severe weakness can signal an emergency and need immediate care.