Benefits of Yogurt? When it comes to nutrition and diet, many people are still under the impression that yogurt is just for kids. In reality, however, yogurt is a staple food for adults of all ages who want to eat right and maintain healthy body weight. Yogurt has been proven to have a wide range of benefits, including: It provides important nutrients that are often lacking in a person’s diet, such as calcium, B vitamins, and protein. It is a convenient way to get a serving of probiotics every day.
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that are found in some fermented foods (yogurt is one of them). They help to restore balance in the intestinal tract. In addition, yogurt is a rich source of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, a bacteria that helps to stimulate the production of mucous in the digestive tract. This helps to reduce the risk of diarrhea and other stomach problems. Finally, eating yogurt has also been linked to a reduced risk of some types of cancer.
What is Yogurt?
Yogurt is a type of fermented dairy product made from milk and often contains live active cultures. Traditionally made from goat or sheep’s milk, yogurt is now also produced from a variety of other animals’ milk. Yogurt is a good source of probiotics and beneficial bacteria that can help balance your gut microbiome and improve your digestion. Probiotics are the good bacteria in yogurt that are thought to help your digestive system. There are actually a lot of different probiotics, and they are found in different foods.
Health Benefits of Yogurts
The health benefits of eating yogurt are immense, and you’ll find plenty of them out below. Yogurt is rich in probiotics, which are helpful in maintaining a healthy gut and digestive system. The probiotics in yogurt help to strengthen the immune system, normalize intestinal function, and prevent digestive disorders. This makes yogurt an excellent choice for people with IBS, Crohn’s disease, and acid reflux.
It is low in calories, high in protein, and contains calcium. Protein is very important for maintaining muscle health and helping to build new muscle tissue. It’s also an excellent source of energy for the body. Calcium helps the body function properly by strengthening bones and teeth. It is low in fat, sugar, and starch content. Yogurt is a dairy product containing lactose, a naturally occurring sugar that is harmless to people with lactose intolerance.
It is rich in B vitamins. B vitamins are essential for your metabolism, promoting energy, healthy skin, and nervous system health. You’ll find them in yogurts niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, and pyridoxine. It is low in saturated fat, sodium, and carbohydrates. This is due to the small amount of lactose present. The remaining ingredients are made up of a large percentage of water, protein, and fat. Also, yogurt contains less sugar than other dairy products.
Here are some of the most important health benefits of eating yogurt:
- It is a rich source of probiotics which can help to restore your gut microbiome and aid in digestion.
- It can also help to prevent and treat diarrhea due to bacterial imbalances in the gut.
- It can promote healthy teeth and gums due to the presence of calcium in it.
- It has a low glycemic index, which means that it does not raise your blood sugar levels fast like many other foods do.
This can be helpful for people who want to avoid insulin resistance and diabetes. It contains vitamin B-12, which is important for promoting healthy brain function and preventing cognitive decline. It has a high content of vitamin C, which is beneficial for reducing stress levels, preventing colds, and fighting cancer. It is calorie-free, making it a perfect option for people who want to lose weight while still enjoying their food and beverages. It is easy to digest, making it a great choice for people with gut health issues. It is inexpensive and easy to find, making it a great option for budget-conscious people.
3 Key Things to Remember Before You Start Eating Yogurt
- Eat yogurt with every meal. This ensures that you will get the health benefits of yogurt and that you won’t be overloading on one food while missing out on other nutrients.
- Use yogurt that has live cultures in it. Choose one that contains over 2 billion colony-forming units (CFU).
- Store yogurt in a refrigerator and eat it within 2-3 days after opening it, or it will lose its probiotic properties.
Tips for How to Eat Yogurt Properly
- Choose a low-fat or low-calorie yogurt. Most yogurts are around 2-3 grams of fat per half cup serving, so you can’t go wrong with choosing a low-fat variety.
- Add it to your daily routine. Eating yogurt once or twice a day is not going to do your gut any good. Make it a staple in your diet by eating yogurt at every meal.
- When choosing a yogurt, look for one that contains live active cultures. This will ensure that you get the most benefits from your yogurt.
- Don’t eat too much of it. Although yogurt is a healthy food, you can overdo it. A serving size should be half a cup, which is around 10-12 grams of protein. To get the best results, try to eat more than a serving size once or twice day.
- Don’t drink it. Yogurt can be consumed plain or with fruit or other sweeteners. However, drinking unsterilized yogurt will not only decrease its nutritional properties, it can also pose a health threat if it is contaminated with harmful bacteria.
- Don’t store it in the sun or in a place where it is too warm or too cold.
6 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Yogurt
- With granola or baked goods: Add yogurt to your favorite granola, oatmeal, or other baked goods to make them more filling and healthy.
- With fresh fruit: Add some yogurt to your fruit platter and enjoy it this way. This can also be done as a healthy snack between meals.
- With nuts: Nuts are a great source of protein, and yogurt also contains calcium. So you can enjoy them together with your yogurt.
- With honey: Add some honey to your yogurt and you’ll get extra antioxidants as well as probiotics.
- With granola: Make your own granola and add your favorite yogurt to it.
- With tea: Yogurt can also be added to your tea to make it more flavorful and healthy.
Conclusion
Yogurt is a probiotic rich dairy product that can be consumed for its health benefits. You can enjoy it as a healthy snack, with toast, or as a stir-in yogurt. You can also add your own yogurt starter cultures to better flavor and maintain the probiotic properties of your homemade yogurt.