What Eating Yogurt Every Day Does to Your Body, According to Nutrition Experts

Yogurt might not seem that interesting, but if you consider gut health and protein intake important, it certainly has more allure. In fact, this fermented food is more popular than ever and there are more types of yogurt and flavors to try, making us wonder, what happens to your body if you eat yogurt every day? We consulted dietitians who shared the many health benefits of daily yogurt consumption and explained how much yogurt to eat to reap them

What Happens When You Eat Yogurt 

Dietitians outline the health effects of eating yogurt.

Benefits Bone Health

"Yogurt delivers a powerful combination of nutrients that work together to build and maintain strong bones [and] promote bone health, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, and vitamins A, B, and K," explains Vanessa King, MS, RDN. For example, calcium contributes to bone density and phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium are all involved in the skeletal framework, according to Jessica Dominguez, MPH, RDN.

Improves Digestive Health

"The live, probiotic bacteria in yogurt make it a digestive powerhouse," says King. Probiotics benefit your gut bacteria, which help foster a healthy gut microbiome, enhance lactose tolerance, and may help alleviate symptoms of constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, and H. pylori infection, notes King. Specifically, yogurt provides Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, beneficial bacteria that balance your gut and improve your body's ability to absorb essential bone minerals like calcium and magnesium, Dominguez says. "By managing gut health, you also help control chronic inflammation, which is beneficial as systemic inflammation can contribute to bone loss," she says.

Supports Immune Function

Eating yogurt every day can benefit your immune system, too. This is partly due to its role as a gut-friendly food, according to Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD. Most of your immune cells are located in your gut, meaning gut-friendly foods like yogurt can directly support immune health by helping the gut microbiome thrive, says Ehsani. "Beyond its probiotic content, yogurt also serves as a valuable source of key micronutrients that help your immune system, including zinc and selenium, which are vital for immune cell function," Dominguez says. Finally, some yogurts are fortified with vitamin D. This nutrient "regulates immune cell activity and strengthens the body's defense against illness, making yogurt an ideal food for supporting overall immunity," says Dominguez.

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Repairs Muscle

"Thanks to its protein content, yogurt can be the perfect food to support muscle repair and building after a workout," says Ehsani. "The proteins found in yogurt are whey and casein, two high-quality complete sources of protein," she notes. Whey protein is quickly digested and absorbed, allowing its amino acids (i.e., the building blocks of protein) to be delivered quickly to muscles, says Ehsani. It also contains leucine, an amino acid known for stimulating muscle protein synthesis. Meanwhile, casein is a slow-digesting protein but provides a sustained release of amino acids into the blood sugar. "It also helps support muscle repair and growth and prevents muscle breakdown," Ehsani says.

Increases Satiety

The exact protein content varies by type of yogurt. In general, the protein in yogurt can help keep you full and satisfied for a long time. It works by increasing the production of satiety hormones (like glucagon-like peptide-1 and cholecystokinin) and reducing hunger hormones, like ghrelin. Yogurt is also high in volume, according to Ehsani. "So, if you’re consuming yogurt daily, such as part of breakfast, it can help keep you satiated until your next meal or snack."

How Much Yogurt to Eat Each Day

"There's no official recommended daily amount for yogurt," King says. She notes a standard serving is ¾ cup or 6 ounces. With that in mind, try incorporating one or two servings of yogurt into your daily routine, suggests Dominguez. "This practice helps you consistently hit your targets for calcium and protein," she says.

What About Non-Dairy Yogurt?

"Today, you can find a wide variety of non-dairy, plant-based yogurts made from soy, cashew, coconut, and hemp," says King. Such options are ideal if you're lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy. They can also offer health benefits, though the nutritional content will vary from traditional yogurt.

If you're unsure which to pick, consider your health goals and needs. "If you want the same bone health benefits you get from dairy yogurt, look for one that has added calcium and vitamin D," says Dominguez. Alternatively, if protein is priority, consider soy yogurt. This variety has the closest protein content to dairy yogurt, while other plant-based varieties (like almond-based yogurt) typically contain less, according to King. Ultimately, it's important to look at the nutrition label and ingredients list to compare nutrients—like protein, vitamins, and minerals—between products, King says.

The Best Yogurt to Buy

To get the most out of eating yogurt daily, our experts suggest plain and unflavored yogurt. This will help limit your intake of added sugars, says Ehsani. "Flavored yogurts tend to contain added sugars and [the amount in] some of them may be quite high," she says. You can always add your own flavored ingredients, like honey or fruit, to plain yogurt.

If protein is a priority, aim for at least 10 grams per serving, says King. "Greek and Icelandic yogurts consistently deliver more protein than regular varieties," she says. For example, Greek yogurt contains about 17 grams of protein per ¾ cup, while plain yogurt has about 6 grams, says Ehsani.

"For those managing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or obesity, a nonfat yogurt is a smart choice. You'll get the same vitamins and minerals with less saturated fat and fewer calories," says King.