Greek Yogurt

Food · Dairy · Food, Typed Supps

A food first and a probiotic second — the two get mixed up constantly.

Stage by stage

Intake (Already partially fermented): Straining removes whey, concentrating protein compared to regular yogurt.
Stomach (Protein digestion begins): Its concentrated protein begins breaking down in stomach acid.
Small intestine (Protein & calcium absorbed): Amino acids and calcium are absorbed; some live cultures may survive to the gut.
Muscle & gut (Protein synthesis & gut flora): Absorbed protein supports muscle repair; any surviving cultures interact with existing gut flora.

Timing

Any time; pairs well as a protein source after exercise.

Time to effect

Hours: Protein and calcium absorption begins within hours.

Allergens

Contains: Milk. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free.

Satiety

197 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — very high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

3.2 kg CO2e and 628 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Milk" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Cheap — roughly £2.5 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Protein
Calcium
Live cultures (variable)
B12

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 61
Protein: 10.3g
Carbohydrate: 3.6g
of which sugars: 3.2g
Fat: 0.4g
of which saturated: 0.1g
Fibre: 0g
Sodium: 36mg

Food vs. supplement

Yogurt’s live cultures are typically far fewer and less diverse than a dedicated probiotic supplement’s specific, higher-CFU strains — it’s a genuinely good protein and calcium source first, with probiotic content that varies a lot by brand.

Kitchen tip

Check the label for double-digit grams of protein per serving - some brands water it down and barely outperform regular yogurt.

Common myth

“All yogurt has meaningful live active cultures.” In reality: Some yogurt is heat-treated after fermentation, which kills the live cultures — look for a “live and active cultures” label if that’s specifically what you want.