Can Yogurt Cause Gas And Bloating?
All dairy products carry the risk of bloating and gas, especially if the person consuming the daily products has lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is a condition wherein the dairy sugar or lactose is not digested properly. Many people develop lactose intolerance as they age, and it is more common in Asians and other ethnicities than Europeans.
There is certainly a genetic component to lactose intolerance. A person who has lactose intolerance may immediately experience various conditions, from bloating and gas to abdominal cramping and pain.
In some instances, the lactose intolerance may also result in moderate to severe bouts of diarrhea or loose stools. If you have been diagnosed with it, you may want to shift to lactose-free variants of your favorite dairy products, including yogurt products.
Lactose intolerance results when the small intestines are unable to produce the right quantity of lactase. This enzyme is responsible for reducing lactose and making it useful for the body. When lactase is nearly absent, the lactose passes through the body, and it’s not absorbed properly at all. There are three main categories of lactose intolerance.
Individuals with primary lactose intolerance who develop this intolerance are incapable of consuming lots of milk and milk products in childhood.
As the child grows, milk products’ consumption drops off and is replaced eventually with more solid food. As more solid food is consumed, lactase is reduced substantially, resulting in the eventual occurrence of lactose intolerance. In adulthood, the lactase production becomes very low, and it becomes even more difficult to digest milk.
Secondary lactose intolerance is often the result of disease or injury. A person who falls severely ill may experience a prolonged state of low lactase production. Fortunately, secondary lactose intolerance can be treated when the primary condition is also treated. This is important for many people who can still consume milk products; only their current disease prevents them from doing so.
And finally, we have congenital lactose intolerance. A person who has congenital lactose intolerance will show lactose intolerance the moment they are born or shortly after birth. These are very rare instances, indeed. This phenomenon has also been observed in premature infants (some of them, but not all).
Why Do I Have Gas After Eating Yogurt?
You may be experiencing having gas after eating yogurt due to an existing condition, most likely lactose intolerance when the body cannot generate a sufficient amount of lactase, which is responsible for cutting down lactose, making it usable for the body, then lactose intolerance results.
If this is the case for you, then the only way to avoid the painful symptoms is to change your diet and be more selective about the dairy products you buy.
Having lactose intolerance doesn’t mean that you can’t eat or drink dairy products anymore. You have to start buying and consuming lactose-free dairy products.
Is Yogurt Bad for Gas?
Not necessarily. Yogurt may be bad for those who have severe lactose intolerance. It has been known that some lactose-intolerant individuals can reduce their chances of suffering from the symptoms by causing fermented dairy products.
Yogurt is one of these fermented dairy products, and in general, fermented products are amazing for reducing digestive inflammation, diarrhea, and constipation.
In general, probiotics are deemed healthy for people who have digestive trouble unless a pre-existing condition such as lactose intolerance prevents a person from consuming and properly digesting the probiotics.
Take, for example, the effects of yogurt on people with irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. IBS is also called spastic colon or spastic colitis. Essentially, people with IBS experience various symptoms all at once, and the period of suffering varies for each bout.
A person with IBS can experience a string of events in a series like constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, severe abdominal pain, and gas. If you often experience these symptoms, they are certainly not normal, and it would be best to get treated immediately. Consult with your physician, as there is nothing regular about your digestive system.
A randomized trial published in the journal Aliment Pharmacological Therapies indicated that the global results of giving yogurt to people with IBS are positive. There was a 57% positive response in the test subjects compared to those on placebo, meaning there is a substantial statistical difference in the reactions of people eating yogurt and those who weren’t (as placebos).
Now, suppose you are interested in using yogurt to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. In that case, we recommend getting organic yogurt, or at the very least, get yogurt that has live bacteria.
The live bacteria are what makes yogurt a probiotic food. Some brands are not supplemented with probiotics.
Now, let’s say that you have lactose intolerance. What kind of yogurt would be best for you? We still recommend getting Greek yogurt, and we’d like to make sure that you’re getting less sugar from the yogurt as much as possible because lactose is a form of sugar. There is certainly a connection between the lactose content and the reaction of those who have lactose intolerance.
Furthermore, it’s also important that you avoid yogurts with artificial sweeteners, especially those who have sugar alcohols, as these have been known to cause negative reactions in people. Sometimes, people experience bloating after consuming small amounts of artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols. You must know what goes into your meals, even if it’s just the ‘minor things’ like the sweetener in your yogurt.
