Yogurt is one of those foods you may want to avoid on an empty stomach. This is because all the benefits that come with consuming yogurt are diminished when your stomach is empty.
Yogurt (which is prepared by bacterial fermentation), and curd (that is made with lemon juice or vinegar) is most well-known as a probiotic – that is a good source of healthy bacteria that is needed in your intestines to break down digested food into byproducts that can be absorbed into the body.
If you have just suffered a bout of diarrhea or another stomach illness, consuming yogurt is a good way to replenish your gut with new bacteria. Consuming yogurt on regular occasions too is important since this creates a ‘diverse’ mix of bacteria in the gut that can break down different kinds of food elements.
In the absence of this diversity, the bacteria in your intestines may not be well-equipped to break down all kinds of food particles. This leads to gassiness – an unfortunate byproduct of poor gut health.
Can I eat Yogurt first thing in the morning?
Healthy eating is a goal. In order to achieve it, we should understand our bodies and change the way we eat to maximize the absorption of nutrients. This helps with better digestion.
An empty stomach has a relatively high concentration of gastric juice (stomach acid). Yogurt contains bacteria that are good for our gut flora. When we eat them on an empty stomach, the bacteria in yogurt get killed and fail to provide your body with the necessary benefits.
What are the benefits of eating Yogurt on an empty stomach?
There are no additional benefits to consuming yogurt first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Yogurt is rich in protein, calcium, and potassium – and they provide your body with nutrients necessary for a balanced diet.
However, it also contains lactic acid that can throw off the acidic equilibrium in your stomach.
As a standalone product. yogurt is best-known to treat a number of ailments including
- Heart diseases
- Osteoporosis
- UTIs
- Vaginal infections
- Peptic ulcers
- Indigestion
Despite these jim-dandy health benefits, try consuming yogurt later in the day to maximize nutrient absorption.
Nutritionists recommend consuming yogurt before noon and not as the first food source in the morning.
Why is it not good to eat Yogurt in the morning?
The human stomach produces gastric acid that is made with Hydrochloric acid. This is necessary to break down everything we eat. A couple of drops of gastric acid is enough to dissolve bones, teeth, and other strong materials.
The walls of the stomach secrete enzymes and mucus to protect the stomach linings. It’s normal for the acidic level to fluctuate.
Now, Yogurt is formulated using the Fermentation process, a process that releases Hydrogen, Ethanol, and Lactic Acid.
The human body secretes the maximum amount of gastric acid between 4 – 8 AM as our body prepares itself to break down the food you will be consuming during the day. Consuming yogurt on an empty stomach adds lactic acid to the hydrochloric acid mix. This throws off the acidic balance in your stomach that can wipe away all the good bacteria in your yogurt.
While you will continue to enjoy the benefits that the nutrients in Yogurt bring to your body, you will miss the probiotic effects that Yogurt is most known for.
In order to avoid this, it’s a good idea to eat something that can be nicely broken down by the acid, and also adds a punch of nutrients to your starving body. Some excellent choices here include soaked almonds, raisins, watermelon, and honey.
So, hark back to the amazing health benefits of Yogurt. Let’s don’t desist our bodies from taking advantage of this champion.
I am Anand, and I am a business owner and consultant in my day job. I have spent years studying what’s inside the products we buy. ‘Feedrer’ is a wordplay on you-know-who and talks about all things food.