Two new studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have recently revealed that adding honey to plain yogurt can not only sweeten breakfast food but also support the probiotic cultures in the fermented dairy product.
These two studies were recently published in The Journal of Nutrition. In these studies, researchers wanted to understand the impact of yogurt and honey on the gastrointestinal microbiome in the Mediterranean diet.
Greek yogurt and other yogurts contain probiotic strains such as Bifidobacterium animalis. These strains can enhance digestive health, regular bowel movements, mood, and cognition, in addition to conventional starter cultures.
Enzymes in the mouth, stomach, and intestines are responsible for some processes such as digestion and nutrient absorption. But they decrease the viability of beneficial bacteria. Researchers wanted to investigate if honey can help probiotic bacteria in the gut to survive.
Researchers conducted the first study on the impact of honey varieties on Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis survival in yogurt through simulated in vitro digestion. They tested the effects of four types of honey on the viability of B. animalis in yogurt, growing microbes in petri dishes with solutions that mimic saliva, stomach acid, intestinal bile, and enzymes. This study did not find any differences in B. animalis survival between honey varietals and yogurt mixed with sugar or water. But yogurt with honey, especially the clover varietal, supported probiotic survival during intestinal digestion.
This study was titled “Honey Added to Yogurt with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Supports Probiotic Enrichment but Does Not Reduce Intestinal Transit Time in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Trial.” In this study, researchers involved 66 healthy adults. Then, they asked them to eat either yogurt with clover honey or pasteurized and heat-treated yogurt. These adults provided their stool samples and answered some questions that were related to their mood, cognition, bowel movements, and overall health.
When researchers observed the collected data, they found that pairing honey with yogurt helped the survival of yogurt’s probiotic bacteria in the gut that shows its practical application in humans. But researchers did not find any changes in intestinal transit time, bowel movement frequency, mood or cognition measures. It was likely due to the participants being healthy with regular bowel movements.
Then, researchers conducted a follow up study that involved 36 participants. They asked these participants to eat a third food item that was yogurt with sugar.
When they observed the results and compared them with the previous study, they found that yogurt with honey was more effective in preserving the most probiotics. But there were no effects on health measures.
One of the researchers said that adding honey with yogurt can support probiotic survival. But it is important to understand that honey is an added sugar. Hence Americans should be very careful while adding it to maintain a healthy body weight.
The results of this study are very important for human health as they show that honey with yogurt can support probiotic survival. Hence, healthcare professionals should consider this study and suggest it to those who need it.
Reference Link:
David A Alvarado et al, Honey Varietals Differentially Impact Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Survivability in Yogurt through Simulated In Vitro Digestion, The Journal of Nutrition (2024). 
DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.01.010
Annemarie R Mysonhimer et al, Honey Added to Yogurt with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DN-173 010/CNCM I-2494 Supports Probiotic Enrichment but Does Not Reduce Intestinal Transit Time in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Trial, The Journal of Nutrition (2024). 
