Probiotic yogurt contains enzymes and bacteria that can aid in digestion and help reduce the production of gas. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, gas is cause by swallowed air and the natural by-products of digestion. While some gas is normal, if the population of healthy bacteria in your digestive tract is out of balance, you could experience severe gas and bloating.
Digestion
Acids begin to work on the foods you eat as soon as they enter your mouth. Your stomach produces more as your food is broken down into absorbable nutrients. Your gallbladder, liver and pancreas join in this digestive symphony by adding enzymes that work on different types of food, such as proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Although these enzymes break down most of the food in the stomach and small intestines, particles of undigested food pass to the large intestine, where helpful bacteria break them down further. While doing their job, these bacteria produce hydrogen, carbon dioxide and, in some people, methane. Your intestines absorb some of these gases, but the majority escape through the rectum. It is normal to pass between one and four pints of gas a day.
Causes of Gas
If you have an excessive amount of gas, you may have too many or the wrong kind of bacteria growing in your small intestine. Your small intestine houses enzymes that break down food but few bacteria. Some diseases and conditions can precipitate an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. These bacteria begin breaking down food before it reaches the large intestine, producing gas higher in the digestive tract. Incomplete digestion due to lack of digestive enzymes can also cause gas. If your gas problems arise from a carbohydrate malabsorption condition or an inability to digest lactose, a type of sugar found in milk products, yogurt might actually cause more gas.
Probiotics
While probiotics, including those found in yogurt, do not kill bacteria, they can help inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. In a study published in the "International Journal of Food Microbiology," subjects given lactobacillus plantarum, a probiotic often found in yogurt, saw a decrease in clostridia, a gas-producing bacteria. However, not all probiotics are the same. According to the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, probiotics vary according to strain. Not all species of a bacterium behave similarly. While a certain strain of one species may help with gas, some strains of that species might be ineffective.
Probiotic Yogurt
Yogurt is a beneficial source of calcium and protein, but not all brands of yogurt contain probiotics. While live cultures help produce yogurt, the bacteria in some brands do not live through the production process. Check the label to make sure yogurt contains live cultures. Additionally, brands that claim to contain live cultures may not have the appropriate type or significant enough quantities to be beneficial.
Warning
If you suffer from excessive gas, check with your doctor. An accurate diagnosis can help you treat or eliminate the cause of your discomfort.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; What I Need to Know About Irritable Bowel Syndrome; May 2007
- GI Doctor: The Normal Digestion Process
- MedlinePlus: Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth
- "Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics"; Probiotics and Prebiotics in IBS...; 2008
- "International Journal of Food Microbiology"; Survival of Lactobacillus Plantarum...; M.L. Johansson, et al.; 1998
