How we rate
“Strong” = several concordant meta-analyses or systematic reviews. “Moderate” = one synthesis, or several controlled trials. “Limited” = early trials only. The rating is about the quality of the studies, not about how useful the supplement is.
Yogurt
With weight training, Greek or Icelandic yogurt led to greater gains in strength and lean mass than a sugary placebo; it is easier to digest than milk. The rest mostly comes from cohorts.
Benefits
- Muscle and strength: in 30 untrained young men, 2 to 3 servings per day of Greek yogurt (20 g of protein each) over 12 weeks of weight training led to a gain of 98 kg in total strength compared to 57 kg with a sugary pudding, and 2.4 kg of lean mass compared to 1.3.
- Seniors: in 30 men with an average age of 68, an Icelandic yogurt (18 g of protein) after each training session for 8 weeks led to a gain of 1.3 kg of lean mass compared to 0.6 kg with a placebo, as well as greater gains in bench press and leg press strength.
- Bones: in the same young men, Greek yogurt during 12 weeks of weight training and jumping increased a bone formation marker more than the placebo.
- Lactose: a review of 108 studies considers it established that yogurt improves digestion and tolerance of lactose.
- Fatty liver: in 100 obese women with fatty liver, 220 g per day for 24 weeks reduced liver fat by 3.44% and the HOMA-IR index by 0.53 compared to milk.
- Cholesterol: in people with moderately high cholesterol, probiotic yogurt lowers LDL by 10.61 mg/dL in a meta-analysis of 7 trials.
Precautions
Lactose: yogurt still contains it, but it is better tolerated than milk in most people who digest it poorly. Limits: recovery: in 13 female soccer players with an average age of 14, 3 servings of Greek yogurt per day during an intensive training camp did not better preserve jumping ability or aerobic capacity than a sugary snack. Heart and longevity: in cohorts, eating the most yogurt is not associated with fewer cardiovascular diseases or fewer deaths; only the subgroup consuming 200 g per day or more suggests this. Bones: a meta-analysis of cohorts finds no link with hip fractures, and an effect on bone density without clinical significance. Weight: cohorts suggest less weight gain, with no trial proving it; no study in this review shows that yogurt causes weight loss. Blood pressure: in 156 overweight adults over 55, 6 weeks of probiotic yogurt changed neither blood pressure nor cholesterol compared to milk. Antibiotics: a hospital-based trial found half as much diarrhea (12% vs 24%), another in general practice found nothing; the meta-analysis of both is inconclusive.
Recommended dosage
150 to 400 g per day in trials; with weight training, 2 to 3 servings providing 18 to 20 g of protein.
How to take it
- For muscle: positive trials used a protein-rich Greek or Icelandic yogurt (18 to 20 g per serving), combined with 3 weight training sessions per week.
- Timing: in these trials, one serving was consumed right after the training session; no study in this review compares it with another timing.
- Duration: 8 to 12 weeks for effects on muscle, 24 weeks for the liver.
- Plain yogurt: in 35 untrained women, 3 servings per day of conventional yogurt during 8 weeks of weight training did not perform better than a low-dairy diet.
- Probiotic or not: compared to conventional yogurt, probiotic yogurt does not perform better on blood sugar in a meta-analysis of 9 trials, nor on weight during a diet.
Did you know?
In 30 untrained young men, adding Greek yogurt to 12 weeks of weight training resulted in a gain of 98 kg in total strength, compared to 57 kg with a sugary pudding of identical calories.
What the studies say
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the impact of yogurt consumption on bone health in adults. It included 12 studies, all observational, which limits the proof of causality. The meta-analysis found no significant association between yogurt consumption and hip fracture risk, and the observed effect on bone mineral density (BMD) was minimal and clinically irrelevant. Current evidence therefore does not support a significant role of yogurt consumption in fracture prevention or BMD improvement in adults.
Mayo B, Malagón-Rojas J, Agahi F, Frias J, Künili İE, Kütt ML, Mardon J, Nikolovska Nedelkoska D, Parada MA, Torbica A, Bulmuş-Tüccar T, Yilmaz B, Bär C, Harsa HS, Chassard C, Praćer S, Vergères G, Tamang JP. — Frontiers in nutrition (2025) — View the source study
For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more