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Soured milk

What the research shows

No concerns

none of the findings here link it to harm

Milk that has been fermented by bacteria already in it.

The acid made by the bacteria thickens the milk and helps it last longer.1

  • Not vegan
  • Vegetarian

What research says

Studies in people

  • No harm found

    Blood pressure2

    In people, soured milk had no real effect on blood pressure, the authors concluded.

  • Benefit

    Gut bacteria and weight3

    In animal and human studies, soured milk increased helpful gut bacteria and certain substances, which may improve metabolism.

  • Benefit

    Gut health and digestion4

    In people, soured milk like yogurt may improve lactose digestion and gut comfort, but study results varied.

  • No harm found

    Heart disease risk in women6

    In women, drinking lots of non-fermented milk was linked to a higher risk of heart disease, but soured milk was not.

How it’s made and used

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

Products

The 6 most-scanned of 5,193 products on Open Food Facts that list soured milk.

  • Greek Yogurt Nonfat Plain Chobani · 32 OZ 0 additives
  • Kefir, Mango and Passion Fruit Yeo Valley · 350 g 0 additives
  • KEFIR MANGO & PASSION FRUIT Yeo Valley · 500 ml 0 additives
  • Greek Yogurt Whole Milk Plain Chobani · 907 g (32 OZ) 0 additives
  • Goldfish Cheddar Pepperidge Farm · 1 oz (28 g) 3 additives
  • CREAMY YOGURT mild Vanilla Milbona · 1 kg 1 additive

References

  1. 1Soured milk. Wikipedia. Accessed September 29, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
  2. 2Usinger L, Reimer C, Ibsen H. Fermented milk for hypertension. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;2012(4):CD008118. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008118.pub2
  3. 3Mukarromah TA, Rustanti N, Mahati E, Suparmi, Ayustaningwarno F. The Impact of Fermented Milk Products on Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites in Obesity: A Narrative Review. J Food Sci. 2025;90(6):e70301. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.70301
  4. 4Savaiano DA, Hutkins RW. Yogurt, cultured fermented milk, and health: a systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2021;79(5):599-614. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuaa013
  5. 5Oozeer R, Leplingard A, Mater DD, et al. Survival of Lactobacillus casei in the human digestive tract after consumption of fermented milk. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006;72(8):5615-7. doi:10.1128/AEM.00722-06
  6. 6Michaëlsson K, Lemming EW, Larsson SC, et al. Non-fermented and fermented milk intake in relation to risk of ischemic heart disease and to circulating cardiometabolic proteins in swedish women and men: Two prospective longitudinal cohort studies with 100,775 participants. BMC Med. 2024;22(1):483. doi:10.1186/s12916-024-03651-1