Bowl of thick plain Greek yogurt topped with blueberries

Does Greek Yogurt Give You Gas? What the Evidence Says

ByCraig Brockie Last updated

The verdict: it can, but it is one of the gentler dairy foods

Greek yogurt can cause gas, mainly in people who are sensitive to lactose, the natural sugar in milk. But plain Greek yogurt has much less lactose than milk, and its live cultures help digest what is left, so many people with lactose intolerance handle a modest serving well (NIDDK). When a cup does cause gas, the cause is often a large serving, an added fiber or sweetener, or the toppings.

What the research shows

Straining removes much of the lactose

Greek yogurt is regular yogurt with much of the liquid whey drained off, which leaves it with more solids and less lactose (Gyawali et al., 2022). A Cornell analysis found lactose was the main component of the acid whey left over from Greek yogurt production, at up to 3.5 percent (Menchik et al., 2019).

USDA FoodData Central shows the difference per 6-ounce (170 g) serving:

Food (170 g serving)Total sugarsLactose
Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat5.5 g4.3 g
Greek yogurt, plain, low-fat6.1 g5.0 g
Regular yogurt, plain, low-fat12.0 gNot listed; mostly milk sugar

For scale, a cup of milk has about 12 grams of lactose, and NIDDK notes that many people with lactose intolerance can have that much with no or mild symptoms. A typical tub of plain Greek yogurt has around a third of it.

Live cultures help digest the rest

The bacteria in yogurt carry their own lactase enzyme. In a 1984 study of lactase-deficient adults, 18 grams of lactose eaten as yogurt produced about a third as much breath hydrogen, a sign of undigested lactose, as the same amount in milk or water, with fewer reports of diarrhea or flatulence. A 2014 review explains that this lactase survives the stomach inside the bacterial cells and works in the small intestine, and that the standard yogurt cultures, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, appear to be present in enough numbers in commercial yogurts.

Heat matters. In a follow-up study of nine lactase-deficient people, yogurt that was pasteurized after culturing lost its digestion advantage, because heating cut the bacteria by 100-fold. These studies were small and decades old, but they have held up in later reviews.

Lactose malabsorption is common

NIDDK estimates that about 68 percent of the world’s population has lactose malabsorption, and about 36 percent of people in the United States. Not everyone with malabsorption gets symptoms. Those who do may have bloating, gas, belly pain, nausea or diarrhea within a few hours of eating lactose, and symptoms tend to be worse with larger amounts (NIDDK).

Other ingredients that can cause gas

Some high-protein or “light” yogurts add chicory root fiber (inulin) or sugar alcohols. In a randomized crossover trial of 26 healthy adults, inulin fibers mildly increased gut symptoms, mostly flatulence and then bloating; up to 10 grams of native inulin and 5 grams of oligofructose a day were well tolerated. NIDDK lists sweeteners ending in “-ol,” such as sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol and maltitol, among causes of extra gas, and notes that high-fat foods can increase bloating.

Caveats to keep in mind

  • No trial has tested Greek yogurt and gas directly. The evidence comes from lactose research on yogurt in general, plus food composition data.
  • Products vary. USDA values are averages. Flavored versions add sugar, and some add milk solids, fibers or sweeteners, so the label tells you more than the word “Greek.”
  • IBS is different. NIDDK lists yogurt among high-FODMAP dairy foods that can trigger symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Allergy is not intolerance. A milk allergy is an immune reaction to milk proteins, not a lactose problem, and Greek yogurt is rich in milk protein (NIDDK).
  • Gas is normal. NIDDK says people pass gas up to about 25 times a day without anything being wrong.

How to choose and eat Greek yogurt with less gas

Yogurt draining in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl
  • Start plain. Plain Greek yogurt has the least lactose and no added sweeteners. Add your own fruit.
  • Read the ingredient list. Look for chicory root fiber, inulin and sweeteners ending in “-ol.” Some products say whether they contain live cultures; see our guide to yogurt for probiotics.
  • Start small, with food. NIDDK suggests having dairy in small amounts with meals and increasing slowly.
  • Watch the toppings. Apples, pears, mango, honey and wheat-based muesli are high in FODMAPs; blueberries, kiwifruit or pineapple are lower-FODMAP choices. Our list of foods that help with bloating has more ideas.
  • Consider lactose-free Greek yogurt if even small servings bother you. Our article on whether Greek yogurt is lactose free explains the labels.

Making it at home

If you make your own, you control how much whey you drain off. Straining longer gives a thicker yogurt with more of the whey, and its lactose, left behind; our guide to how to make Greek yogurt covers the method, and our reference on lactose remaining after longer ferments looks at fermentation time.

When to see a doctor

Talk with a doctor if gas or bloating happens often, keeps coming back after diet changes, or comes with weight loss, blood in your stool, vomiting, fever or a lump in your belly (NHS). A doctor can check for lactose intolerance, IBS or other causes. This article is general information, not medical advice.

Does Greek yogurt have less lactose than regular yogurt?

Yes. USDA lists about 2.5 grams of lactose per 100 grams of plain nonfat Greek yogurt, compared with about 7 grams of total sugars in plain low-fat regular yogurt (FoodData Central).

Can I eat Greek yogurt if I am lactose intolerant?

Many people can, especially in modest servings with a meal. NIDDK lists yogurt as a dairy food some people find easier to tolerate.

Why does my Greek yogurt make me gassy when milk does not?

Check the label for added inulin, chicory root fiber or sugar alcohols, and look at toppings and serving size. These are more likely culprits than the yogurt itself.

Does heating Greek yogurt change how well I digest it?

Heat kills the live cultures. In one small study, yogurt pasteurized after culturing lost its lactose-digesting advantage.

Related topics

Sources

Craig Brockie is the founder of Ultimate Health Solutions, the company behind Ultimate Gut, and the author of Ultimate Health, The Ultimate Gut Health Guide and The Unlimited Probiotics Guide. After injuries and chronic health problems in his twenties that conventional care didn’t resolve, he began researching health on his own and has studied natural health for 30 years. He is not a medical professional, and his articles are general information, not medical advice.

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