Research combining honey with yogurt
Probiotics offer numerous health benefits. Now, American scientists have discovered that adding a spoonful of honey to yogurt helps the probiotics in the yogurt survive in the gut. This is a win-win combination that is both healthy and delicious.
In vitro digestion simulation test
There is growing evidence that probiotic consumption positively impacts mood and gut health. Because honey is often added to yogurt, a source of probiotics, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examined the effects of adding honey to yogurt on the gut microbiome in two studies.
In the first study, scientists examined whether adding one of four types of honey—alfalfa, buckwheat, clover, and orange blossom—to commercial yogurt (Activia) containing B. animalis affected the survival of probiotics in the yogurt during digestion. Specifically, the research team added 42 g (two tablespoons) of honey to 170 g (two-thirds of a cup) of yogurt, then exposed this mixture to laboratory solutions simulating digestion in the mouth, stomach, and intestine.
Assoc. Prof. Hannah Holscher at the University of Illinois and co-author of the study stated: "The enzymes in our mouth, stomach, and intestines aid digestion and boost nutrient absorption, but they also reduce the survival rate of bacteria. That is great if they are pathogens rather than beneficial bacteria. We wanted to see if honey could help probiotics survive in the gut".
For fluids in the mouth and stomach, the researchers found no difference in the survival of B. animalis between the different types of honey and the controls (yogurt mixed with sugar or water). However, yogurt with honey - particularly clover honey - helped beneficial bacteria survive the intestinal stage of digestion.
Verified in adults
The researchers then tested the findings of the first study in a clinical trial. Sixty-six healthy adults were randomized into two groups: a control group consuming 170 g of commercial pasteurized yogurt containing B. animalis twice daily for two weeks, and an intervention group consuming the same amount of yogurt mixed with 21 g of clover honey over the same period. Following two weeks and a four-week washout period, the intervention and control groups crossed over. Participants were asked not to consume dietary probiotic supplements, fermented dairy products, or fermented foods. They provided stool samples and information about their bowel movements, as well as completed questionnaires assessing mood, cognition, and overall well-being.
Assoc. Prof. Holscher said: "Our findings show that pairing honey with yogurt supports the survival of yogurt's probiotic bacteria in the gut, translating laboratory research into practical human application.".
Limitations of the recorded results
However, the research team found that adding clover honey to yogurt did not affect intestinal transit time, bowel movement frequency, mood, or cognition.
A small-scale study tracked 36 people who consumed sweetened yogurt. Comparing results across all three study conditions, scientists found that combining yogurt with honey preserved the most beneficial bacteria, but did not affect other measured health factors.
The research results were published in the journal Nutrition.
N.P.D (NASATI), taccording to Newatlas, Aug 2024