Checkoff-led consumer research indicates that people believe the digestive system and microbiome are important not just for gut health but also for immunity, and mental and metabolic health. By simply typing “gut health” into a Google search, more than 1.7 billion results pop up, showing the desire to learn more. This is an area where consumer interest and scientific reality align. There’s a strong body of evidence on the wellness benefits of dairy foods on digestive health and newer, emerging evidence on how good gut health appears to be a gateway to better overall health.
The intestinal tract contains the body’s largest number of immune cells, which constantly interact with our gut microbiota to help maintain gut health. It is important to strike a balance between “good” and “bad” bacteria within our gut to reduce risk of a cascade of issues, so there’s growing interest in keeping the good bacteria well-nourished.
Information on how best to nourish gut bacteria needs to be accessible to consumers to help them understand how to keep their gut in optimal condition. Dairy foods, particularly fermented options such as yogurt and kefir, can help promote a healthy gut microbiome. The fermentation process transforms milk into popular dairy foods, such as yogurt, hard cheeses, and kefir.
Fermentation can impact the nutritional value of foods, producing additional bioactives, such as peptides and short-chain fatty acids, which can have a positive impact on digestion, absorption, and metabolism. This is likely a key reason fermented foods are linked to reduced inflammation and other health benefits. Fermented foods containing live cultures like yogurt and kefir can add beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract, helping maintain a healthy microbiota and gut barrier function.
A strong and growing body of evidence demonstrates fermented dairy foods support healthy digestion and reduce the risk of some diseases, like metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, immune-related diseases, and cognitive decline.