Plain yogurt is packed with nutrients!
Yogurt is a nutrient dense daily product made by fermenting milk with bacterial cultures that may have been discovered around 5000 BC when the first milk producing animals were domesticated.
Yogurt is 81% water and is therefore a good source of hydration. For a list of other hydrating foods See 25 Most Hydrating Natural Foods
Yogurt is also 9% protein, 5% fat and 4% carbohydrates. Yogurt is also high in Calcium, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, Phosphorus and Zinc . . .and can be an important part of your natural foods healthy eating plan! See the below nutrition facts provided by the Slate River Dairy in Canada.
10 Health benefits of plain yogurt
Yogurt is a functional food and a superfood! Here are some of the health benefits:
1. Promotes Bone Health. Calcium and Magnesium are important for maintaining bone health. Yogurt is high in both. Osteoporosis is a chronic condition marked by a reduction in bone mineral density (BMD), which is associated with a greatly higher risk of fracture. Regular long-term consumption of yogurt can help reduce the risks of osteoporosis. The phosphorus in yogurt also helps build and maintain strong bones
2. Health Skin. The hydrating qualities of yogurt and its high zinc content helps maintain healthy skin.
3. Workout and Exercise Recovery. The protein in yogurt helps provide sustained energy and helps build and maintain lean muscle. The riboflavin in yogurt helps your body use carbohydrates, fats and protein for fuel. Pantothenic acid also helps your body use carbohydrates,
fats and protein for fuel.
4. Healthy Cholesterol Levels Management. Yogurt may be used as an adjunctive therapy to lower serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, especially in men,
5. Healthy Blood Pressure Management. Plain yogurt can lower circulating lipids and glucose levels, as well as reduce systolic blood pressure and insulin resistance.
6. Asthma Prevention. With its anti-inflammatory properties, yogurt can help relieve the symptoms of asthma. The probiotics in it significantly reduce the chances of fatal asthma attacks in physically active sufferers. This lowers the symptoms like shortness of breath, cough, and tightening of the chest in asthma patients. There is evidence that consuming the healthy bacteria found in yogurt will help your lung tissue stay healthier. Specifically, it can stimulate the production of interleukin cells which decreases your risk of asthma inflammation. See Asthma Prevention & Yogurt
7. Vaginal Infection Prevention. Vaginal infections due to candida are commonly observed in diabetic women. The daily consumption of yogurt lowers the pH levels of the vaginal tract and prevents candida infections.
8. Weight Management. Studies have indicated a significant reduction in body weight and body mass index from the regular consumption of plain yogurt. Plain, unsweetened yogurt can be an important part of your weight management plan. Yoghurt also seems to be a promising agent in the management of diabetes type 2 diabetes. Yogurt reduces appetite and hunger.
9. Improves Gut Health. In addition to yogurt’s significant reduction in body weight and body mass index, yogurt can play a role in(i) maintaining a healthy gut, by alleviating constipation, (ii) reducing inflammatory bowel disease risks, (iii) reducing lactose intolerance symptoms, (iv) reducing diarrheal diseases and colon cancer diseases, often caused by high consumption of processed foods. Yogurt also kills harmful bacteria.
10. Infant and Children’s Health. Yogurt is high in Vitamin B12 which helps (i) maintain healthy immune, blood and nervous system function. (ii) supports normal energy metabolism, (iii) is necessary for brain development during pregnancy and infancy, and (iv) is linked to cognitive function in childhood. Yogurt also contains some iodine necessary for proper bone and brain development during pregnancy and infancy.
Sweetened, lowfat yogurt has too much sugar!
There is concern about the negative health effects of sweetened and lowfat yogurt due to its high sugar content. Excess sugar intake may be harmful to your health if you have diabetes. This high sugar content or artificial sugar content can add to the risks of developing cardiovascular disease. More about Artificial Sweetener Aspartame Linked to Increase Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
Some people are lactose intolerant due to their decreased ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. Interestingly, yogurt consumption can improve lactose tolerance and digestion.
Plain yogurt is the best yogurt to consume!
More about yogurt from the American Dairy Association and from the National Institute for Health
More about Ralph Teller