Is Yogurt Good For Diarrhea? Types Of Yogurt Are Good For Diarrhea In 2024

As it can be painful and smelly, we all want to avoid diarrhea. Diarrhea occurs when someone has frequent loose stools. It can be caused by numerous factors such as viral infections, traveler’s diarrhea, or food poisoning. 

While some foods can cause diarrhea, other foods can be beneficial. Yogurt is a popular food that has been reported to be beneficial for health, weight management, and gut health. This is because yogurt has many nutrients and sometimes contains probiotics — live beneficial bacteria. 

So, is yogurt good for diarrhea? Keep reading to find out.

Does Yogurt Help With Diarrhea?

Yes, yogurt can help with diarrhea and gut health if it contains adequate probiotics. 

A 2022 research study concluded yogurt promotes gut health^[1] and boosts the immune system. Probiotic yogurt was found to aid digestive health during episodes of acute diarrhea. It was also found to treat diarrhea due to inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome. 

Other research studies have found probiotic yogurt can prevent certain types of diarrhea, including traveler’s diarrhea^[2] and antibiotic-associated diarrhea.^[3]

Why Does Yogurt Stop Diarrhea?

Consuming yogurt can treat diarrhea if it is a probiotic-rich yogurt. Probiotics^[4] are live bacteria cultures that provide health benefits. Probiotics have been shown to enhance intestinal flora by promoting levels of good gut-friendly bacteria. 

Probiotics^[5] are friendly bacteria that pass live through the gastrointestinal tract to the colon, where they usually exert their benefits. This means all probiotic foods have beneficial bacteria to maintain their functional properties and provide health benefits. 

While there are harmful bacteria out there that can make you sick, probiotics are beneficial bacteria and can be good to eat. Prebiotics, found in fiber, feed these beneficial bacteria allowing them to thrive.

Take care with probiotics^[6] if you have a weakened immune system, short-gut syndrome, or are very ill, as in these cases probiotics might make you ill. 

What Type Of Yogurt Is Good For Diarrhea

Any probiotic-rich yogurt can help those experiencing diarrhea. Make sure your yogurt is live. 

Although all yogurts are fermented^[7] with bacteria, not all yogurts contain probiotics. The fermentation process is how yogurt is made and involves the process of adding specific live bacteria to milk. This process creates lactic acid, providing yogurt’s tangy sour taste. Not all of these bacteria, however, will survive digestion as they can become destroyed and deactivated in the stomach. If they do not survive and provide health benefits, they do not have probiotic properties.^[8]

To make sure you select the right yogurt for the type of diarrhea you are experiencing, look for these probiotic strains on the label based on your specific need. The best probiotic yogurt for diarrhea depends on the cause of the problem; the different strains for varying diarrhea etiologies are in the chart below.

Research^[9] has shown some positive benefits associated with the probiotics listed below and their effectiveness on certain types of diarrhea.

Probiotic	Type Of Diarrhea
Bifidobacterium infantis 35624.	Irritable bowel syndrome.
Lactobacillus reuteri protectis SD2112.	Infectious diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome.
Lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285 and Lactobacillus casei LBC80R.	Antibiotic association diarrhea, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus.	Antibiotic association diarrhea, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, infectious diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome.
Lactobacillus casei DN-114001.	Antibiotic association diarrhea, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, infectious diarrhea.
Saccharomyces boulardii.	Antibiotic association diarrhea, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, infectious diarrhea, Crohn’s disease.
E.coli Nissle[10] 1917.	Ulcerative colitis.

Many more probiotic strains and dosages exist, and they can be hard to navigate. For example, a dose of 10¹⁰ – 10¹¹ colony forming units or CFUs is the most effective dose^[11] for treating watery diarrhea. However, unlike on supplements, probiotic dosages aren’t usually provided on yogurt labels.

If you are confused about which probiotic is right for you, speak with a registered dietitian or your primary health care provider. If you have severe diarrhea that is not improving, do not hesitate to seek medical advice. 

Can Yogurt Cause Diarrhea In Some People?

Can yogurt give you diarrhea? Yes, if someone has lactose intolerance^[12] or a dairy protein allergy,^[13] eating yogurt may cause them to have diarrhea. Yogurt contains the sugar lactose, which lactose-intolerant people cannot digest due to a deficiency in lactase enzymes. In cases of dairy allergy, a person might have an immune response to a variety of proteins present in dairy, such as casein or whey.

Taking the digestive enzyme lactase may help you tolerate lactose-containing foods better. But lactose and sorbitol will worsen diarrhea, so you want to avoid foods containing these or take the appropriate digestive enzyme. Also, probiotic supplements may lessen diarrhea symptoms^[14] associated with lactose intolerance in some people. 

If you are lactose intolerant and want to try probiotic yogurt, only try a small amount at a time until you know your tolerance level. Yogurt has minimal amounts of lactose despite it being a dairy food, as most of the lactose is digested by bacteria during the fermentation process.

What To Eat When You Have Diarrhea

The main dietary focus for treating diarrhea is rehydration therapy^[15] and nutrition maintenance — drinking plenty of fluids with electrolytes. Energy drinks, sodas, and juices high in sorbitol should be avoided,^[16] while broths, rice water, and oral rehydration solutions should be encouraged. 

Other options to consider for diarrheal relief are gut-healing foods, digestive enzymes, or probiotic supplements. Be sure to speak to a registered dietitian before starting a new supplement. 

The Bottom Line

Consuming yogurt rich in probiotics is a great way to treat and prevent diarrhea. The best probiotic yogurt for diarrhea is individual and based on the cause of your diarrhea. 

However, lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy can cause diarrhea after consuming dairy. So, yogurt can make diarrhea worse in some cases.

Yogurt is also full of many nutrients and is a great healthy food to add to your diet. Next time you have frequent loose bowel movements, eat yogurt containing active probiotics.

---