But what exactly is yogurt?
Yogurt starts out as milk which is heated to about 200 degrees F for 10 to 30 minutes. Then it has to be cooled very rapidly to about 112 degrees F and mixed with the yogurt starter that contains the two necessary bacteria. For the custard style or thicker yogurt, the milk has to be heated for a longer period of time. After it has cooled, it's put into clean containers at 100 degrees F. This fermentation process is what develops the tartness in the yogurt.
And just what are the health benefits of yogurt?
First off, your body needs to have a healthy amount of ''good'' bacteria in the digestive tract,
and many yogurts are made using active, good bacteria. One of the words you’ll be hearing more of in relation to yogurt is ''probiotics.'' Probiotic, which literally means ''for life,'' refers to living organisms that can result in a health benefit when eaten in adequate amounts.
And let us not forget that yogurt comes from milk. So yogurt eaters will also get a dose of animal protein (about 9 grams per 6-ounce serving), plus several other nutrients found in dairy foods, like calcium, vitamin B-2, B-12, potassium, and magnesium.
In fact, the health benefits of yogurt are so impressive that many health-conscious people make it a daily habit.
Yogurt starts out as milk which is heated to about 200 degrees F for 10 to 30 minutes. Then it has to be cooled very rapidly to about 112 degrees F and mixed with the yogurt starter that contains the two necessary bacteria. For the custard style or thicker yogurt, the milk has to be heated for a longer period of time. After it has cooled, it's put into clean containers at 100 degrees F. This fermentation process is what develops the tartness in the yogurt.
And just what are the health benefits of yogurt?
First off, your body needs to have a healthy amount of ''good'' bacteria in the digestive tract,
and many yogurts are made using active, good bacteria. One of the words you’ll be hearing more of in relation to yogurt is ''probiotics.'' Probiotic, which literally means ''for life,'' refers to living organisms that can result in a health benefit when eaten in adequate amounts.
And let us not forget that yogurt comes from milk. So yogurt eaters will also get a dose of animal protein (about 9 grams per 6-ounce serving), plus several other nutrients found in dairy foods, like calcium, vitamin B-2, B-12, potassium, and magnesium.
In fact, the health benefits of yogurt are so impressive that many health-conscious people make it a daily habit.
Here are five possible health benefits of having a yogurt a day:
Benefit No. 1: Yogurt May Help Prevent Osteoporosis
''Adequate nutrition plays a major role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, and the micronutrients of greatest importance are calcium and vitamin D,'' says Jeri Nieves, PhD, MS, director of bone density testing at New York’s Helen Hayes Hospital.
Calcium has been shown to have beneficial effects on bone mass in people of all ages, although the results are not always consistent, says Nieves, also an assistant professor of clinical epidemiology at Columbia University.
''The combination of calcium and vitamin D has a clear skeletal benefit, provided the dose of vitamin D is sufficiently high,'' she adds.
Benefit No. 2: Yogurt May Reduce the Risk of High Blood Pressure
A recent study, which followed more than 5,000 Spanish university graduates for about two years, found a link between dairy intake and risk of high blood pressure.
''We observed a 50% reduction in the risk of developing high blood pressure among people eating 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy a day (or more), compared with those without any intake,'' Alvaro Alonso, MD, PhD, a researcher in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in an email interview.
Although most of the low-fat dairy consumed by the study subjects was as milk, Alvaro believes low-fat yogurt would likely have the same effect.
Benefit No. 3: Yogurt With Active Cultures Helps the Gut
Yogurt with active cultures may help certain gastrointestinal conditions, including:
Lactose intolerance
Constipation
Diarrhea
Colon cancer
Inflammatory bowel disease
H. pylori infection
That's what researchers from the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University concluded in a recent review article.
The benefits are thought to be due to:
Changes in the microflora of the gut
The time food takes to go through the bowel
Enhancement of the body's immune system
A recent Taiwanese study looked at the effects of yogurt containing lactobacillus and bifidobacterium on 138 people with persistent H. pylori infections.
The researchers found that the yogurt improved the efficacy of four-drug therapy.
H. pylori is a type of bacteria that can cause infection in the stomach and upper part of the small intestine. It can lead to ulcers and can increase the risk of developing stomach cancer.
Benefit No. 4: Yogurt With Active Cultures May Discourage Vaginal Infections
Candida or "yeast" vaginal infections are a common problem for women with diabetes. In a small study, seven diabetic women with chronic Candidal vaginitis consumed 6 ounces of frozen aspartame-sweetened yogurt per day (with or without active cultures).
Even though most of the women had poor blood sugar control throughout the study, the vaginal pH (measure of acidity or basicity) of the group eating yogurt with active cultures dropped from 6.0 to 4.0 (normal pH is 4.0-4.5). These women also reported a decrease in Candida infections. The women eating the yogurt without active cultures remained at pH 6.0.
Benefit No. 5: Yogurt May Help You Feel Fuller
Yogurt is indeed a "miracle food!" We used to make ours at home and it was so good. And yes, yogurt does fill you up! Lately, I've been taking a probiotic supplement to get extra strains of those beneficial bacteria. But I think I'm going to try making my own yogurt again and combining the two for an extra digestive boost.
- Anna M
blog.nutri-health.com
Thanks for the interesting article!