What Is Yogurt?
Yogurt is a nutrient-rich food made from cultured dairy ingredients and bacteria. It is one of the most common dairy products on the market today, for good reason. It’s a creamy, tasty addition to many meals and offers many health benefits.
Sweetened yogurt is often served as a healthier alternative to ice cream or custard. Plain yogurt can be used instead of sour cream to top everything from tacos to baked potatoes. Whole-milk yogurt has far fewer calories and more protein than sour cream or ice cream. It’s also a fermented food that contains live probiotics.
How is yogurt made?
Yogurt is made by combining heated milk (whether it’s partially skimmed milk, skim milk, cream, or other reconstituted versions) with bacteria and leaving it at a high temperature. The bacteria then turn the sugar in the milk, or lactose, into lactic acid, which causes the milk to thicken and gives it a unique, tart flavor.
Benefits of Yogurt
The vitamins and minerals in low-fat, plain yogurt and other varieties of yogurt can provide important health benefits. For example, Greek yogurt can help offer part of your daily probiotics intake.
Milk-based yogurts are also high in potassium, which is important for maintaining your blood pressure and counteracting sodium. It also plays an important role in keeping your heartbeat regular and helping your muscles contract.
Although more studies on the health benefits of consuming yogurt are needed, some show yogurt:
May help prevent osteoporosis
Yogurt provides a significant amount of calcium, which is important for healthy bones. Getting enough calcium helps prevent osteoporosis by keeping your bones denser and less prone to breaking.
Our bodies need vitamin D to absorb calcium. Some yogurts are fortified with vitamin D, but it’s important to check the nutrition label to confirm the amount.
May improve digestion and gut bacteria balance
Yogurt is an ideal source for probiotics, which are live, “good” bacteria. Yogurt probiotics can help to keep a balance in the bacteria in our guts, which helps with digestion. They also help boost our immune systems and keep away infections.
The probiotics typically found in yogurt are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.
Other bacteria, including forms of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, may be added by certain brands in efforts to increase certain health benefits like maintaining a healthy immune and digestive systems. The specific amount needed to enhance these effects is not confirmed.
Improve heart health
Greek yogurt has been connected to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can reduce your risk of heart disease. Cholesterol and triglycerides can harden or block your arteries over time, leading to heart disease or atherosclerosis. By controlling your cholesterol, Greek yogurt may help to prevent heart disease or slow its progression.
Lower risk of diabetes
Consuming Greek yogurt may help reduce your risk of diabetes too. A recent analysis of 11 studies showed that eating yogurt regularly can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 14%. More studies are needed to understand why this happens, but the evidence behind this connection is promising.
May discourage vaginal infections
Candida or “yeast” vaginal infections are a common problem for women with diabetes.
Women and girls of all ages can get vaginal yeast infections. Three-quarters of all women are estimated to have one at some point in their life.
There are a number of things that may raise your risk of yeast infections:
- Pregnancy
- Diabetes with uncontrolled blood sugar
- Birth control that uses higher doses of estrogen
- Use of douche or vaginal sprays
- Recent use of antibiotics or steroid medicines
- Weakened immune system, such as from HIV
Research suggests that yogurt probiotics, or eating 8 ounces of yogurt with “live cultures” daily, could lessen the risk of infection. But more research is needed. Talk to your doctor if you think you have a yeast infection before taking any medicines to treat it.
May help you feel fuller
The protein found in yogurt can help give your body a feeling of fullness. People who eat more protein-rich foods are more likely to stay away from foods that are high processed carbohydrates. Particular yogurt varieties have higher protein content, like greek yogurt. Check the label to determine higher protein levels.
Yogurt face mask
Using yogurt as a face mask can be an option for your skin care routine, to improve your skin’s brightness and elasticity and to help keep in moisture. To try a yogurt face mask at home, it’s best to use nonfat, plain Greek yogurt, due to its thicker texture. Try adding in honey to the yogurt to make a simple face mask. This can serve as antibacterial, antioxidant treatment for your skin.
Credit: webmd
