Why Does Frozen Yogurt Hurt My Stomach So Much?!

So many people, especially women, love their froyo! It’s a two billion dollar a year industry and 70% of consumers are women. However, many find eating frozen yogurt leaves their stomach in distress. The Doctors discuss why.

Dermatologist Dr. Sonia Batra explains 30-50 million people are lactose intolerant, herself included. While many can tolerate regular yogurt, they will have problems with frozen. This is because in regular yogurt there are live active cultures that can break down the lactose sugar. Once you freeze the yogurt, the cultures are no longer alive, and you are eating a ton of dairy. Dairy that may cause stomach pain, gas, bloating and diarrhea.
 
Watch: Grab-And-Go Frozen Yogurt Parfaits from Chef Jimmy

Dr. Batra shares a few tips to enjoy this treat. She says many stores will now have a seal on the dispenser that says “live & active cultures,” this is a good thing to look for. Also, if you have dairy issues, avoid sugar-free yogurt. This type of yogurt contains sugar alcohols like sorbitol, maltitol and xylitol, which are not absorbed well and can act like laxatives! 

Watch: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipe

Plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon points out that people should take note of serving size since what they think is low calorie may not be once they fill their cup up! An appropriate serving size is 4 oz. or ½ cup, yet many people are taking much more and will have about 500 calories of yogurt before they even add any toppings!