The topic of dairy products health benefits is confusing at times. First, you should consider eating more fiber. Second, that product should be joyful. And third, the super most benefits of simple foods like yogurt.
Yogurt is the fermented milk food and as such formed by culturing milk, cream, or both with the identifying bacterial culture that may include lactic acid-releasing bacteria. As a nutrient-rich food and fermented milk product, yogurt comes up with daily macronutrient and micronutrient directions and to lowering possible health threats in vulnerable groups.
Yogurt has a good bioavailibility and affordability. It has a low energy density and is a good source of calcium and other minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium and zinc. Yogurt also contains vitamin B (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9 and B12), vitamin A and vitamins E. Keep reading to know about the different health benefits of yogurt.
Major health benefits of yogurt
Yogurt is also considered to be an excellent source of high-quality proteins, casein and whey proteins, which can result in a reduction of appetite and improve growth of muscles and bone. It also has the higher content of conjugated linoleic acids than milk. Conjugated linoleic acids are believed to have the immunostimulatory and anticarcinogenic properties.
From helping you lose weight to improving digestive system, the benefits of yogurt are everything your body needs to get rid of problems. This is because of the all the nine essential amino acids present in yogurt, making it the best source of complete diet. If you prefer choosing low-fat or nonfat yogurt, it’s also loaded with full lean protein.
So, do you want to know what exactly happens to your body when you consume yogurt. Following are some of the health benefits of eating yogurt—you might just be shocked knowing how good yogurt is for you!
1. It May build up Immune System
The immune-strengthening benefits of yogurt are due to presence of trace minerals like selenium, magnesium, and zinc, playing the major role in immune system health.
Eating yogurt on a daily basis may reduce your possibilities of contracting an illness because probiotics reduce risks of inflammation, which can result in various health conditions ranging from viral infections to gut disorders. They may help lowering the chances, duration and intensity of the common cold symptoms.
Probiotics in yogurt increase the activity of white blood cells and improve the production of antibodies. Antibodies are protein molecules that reassemble the immune system against certain pathogens. A study found that the beneficial bacteria in yogurt hold back Helicobacter pylori (a bacterium that causes stomach ulcers, specifically in children). Yogurt can help crack down on these pathogenic bacteria plays a significant part in strengthening your immune system.
Vitamin D-fortified yogurts also boost immune system even further as it has the potential to avoid illnesses like common cold and flu.
2. It can help in weight loss
The protein contents in the yogurt works with calcium to improve the pathways of appetite reducing hormones such as peptide YY and GLP-1.
Yogurt can help you maintaining your ideal weight by nurturing the abdominal fat loss which usually gives tough time to lose weight. A research published in the April 2005 found that diets including daily consumption of yogurt contain 1,100 mg of calcium for 12 weeks helped losing weight in obesity without losing the track of lean body mass. Loss 0f abdominal fat expanded by 81% for those eating yogurt diets as compared to those on a control diet containing 400 to 500 mg of the calcium supplement.
Yogurt also reduces the incidence of obesity. Recent studies have proved that yogurt consumption is related to reduce body fat percentage, lower body weight, and lessen waist circumference.
3. It’s good for bone health.
Yogurt may protect you against osteoporosis, a condition indicated by weakening of the bones. This condition is quite common in the elderly. Yogurt is good for bones due to the presence of calcium (415 milligrams per eight-ounce serving of regular, plain yogurt), protein, potassium, phosphorus and, sometimes, vitamin D. Calcium is essential for bone healthy as it help bones stay impregnable by increasing their density.
Calcium in yogurt is highly effective for muscle functions, vascular contraction, cellular signaling, and nerve transmission. Protein in yogurt also makes for the bone health as well as muscle strength.
Weak bones have low bone density and are more likely to get bone fractures. Research justifies that eating yogurt at least three servings, on a regular basis may assist preserving the bone mass and strength.
4. It May Benefit Heart Health
If you want to benefit your heart health, dip your spoon into some yogurt. Eating yogurt daily (about two servings per week) can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure.
You may not confuse the yogurt’s benefits because of its fat content. Yogurt contains mostly saturated fat, with a fewer amount of monounsaturated fatty acids. Previously saturated fat was thought to cause heart disease, but now recent researchers have proved that this isn’t the fact. However, a large number of the varieties of fat-free and low-fat of yogurt are still popular in some places.
There are no evidences that the yogurt fat may cause harm to your health, in fact it may benefit your heart health. Research also shows that the saturated fats from yogurt shoot up “good” HDL cholesterol, which may be beneficial for heart health.
Yogurt also helps lowering high blood pressure, which can contribute majorly for heart diseases. The effects seem to be most notable if you have been already diagnosed with high blood pressure.
5. It may benefit digestive health
Probiotics also benefit digestive health when consumed.
Unfortunately, many kinds of yogurts have been pasteurized, which is basically a heat treatment that denatures the beneficial bacteria they contain. To make sure that your yogurt contains these effective probiotics, choose the one containing live, active cultures, which should be mentioned on the label.
A few types of probiotics found in yogurt, like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus, reduce the uncomfortable symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This is the common disorder that affects the digestive system, particularly colon.
Regular consumption of fermented milk or yogurt that contained Bifidobacteria, improves bloating and stool frequency. Yogurt with Bifidobacteria also improves digestive symptoms getting better the quality of life among women who did not have a diagnosed digestive condition. Probiotics can also provide protection against antibiotic-associated diarrhea and constipation. They improve digestive functions by maintaining the levels of ‘good bacteria’ in the gut.
6. It may help lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Research has shown that yogurt can play a significant role in preventing Type 2 diabetes. This is because of the unique properties of yogurt, specifically lactic acid bacteria content, which may impact gut microbiota.
Yogurt also plays a potential role in reducing glycemic variability. It means that it may help lower dramatic swings in your blood sugar levels. And off course, it’s essential to remember that the yogurt you’re choosing must not loaded with added sugar; otherwise, you can’t enjoy such benefits of yogurt.
