If you love yogurt because it is tasty and creamy, learning about its health benefits will help you appreciate this milk product even more.
It goes without a say that yogurt is thick and tasty, making it appear at the top of people’s favorite drinks. Yet, you may be surprised to know that yogurt has many health benefits which extend beyond its yummy taste. To benefit more from yogurt and reap its scientific health advantages, focus on plain, unsweetened yogurt. This is because the world market offers many flavors of sweet yogurt, yet they contain added substances such as sugar and sweeteners. These risk your health more than the benefits offered by yogurt. This article is your plain yogurt primer and enlightens you on all the health benefits of plain natural yogurt.
Good for bone health
Are you suffering from debilitating bone health? Do you know of an old person whose bones are consistently wearing out? Including plain yogurt in your diet may be just what you need for the improvement of bone health. A typical bowl is packed with about 300g of calcium, the mineral you need to boost health. Taking yogurt will not only make your bone mass denser but will ensure that the bones are strong. Thus, you may consider taking a glass of natural yogurt once done with lunch to keep your bone health in check.
A rich nutritional profile
Plain yogurt is especially loved for its great boast of many critical nutrients. A glassful of natural yogurt is packed with many nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, vitamin B12, riboflavin, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium. While calcium is needed for healthy bones and teeth, potassium is needed for steady blood flow and reduced risk of heart diseases. Neural birth defects are a common problem, but yogurt is rich in B12 vitamins and riboflavin, which help reduce the risk of such a defect. Besides, yogurt is found fortified with vitamin D, making it ideal for reducing the risks of depression and many heart diseases.
Ideal for weight loss
The quest for weight loss is common and increases every other day, with more people becoming increasingly concerned about losing extra pounds and maintaining a healthy weight. Plain yogurt is one of the foods they take to help with this chase, especially because natural yogurt has been researched and deemed effective for losing belly fat. This is primarily because plain yogurt contains relatively fewer calories than most foods. Besides, drinking plain yogurt helps you keep full for long, reducing the need for taking snacks and gaining extra weight.
Enhances recovery after a workout
The exhaustion and muscle cramps that follow workouts are quite uncomfortable, and active people do all they can to minimize them. One healthy remedy is Greek yogurt. When taken with water, Greek yogurt helps one recover faster following a workout session. Besides, such yogurt boosts your hydration by encouraging the intestines to absorb more water. Thus, taking yogurt with water some 30-60minutes following a workout will be the best way to ease your exhaustion and enhance recovery.
It May be good for digestive health
Plain yogurt with live cultures of bacteria incorporated at the starter stages has many health benefits, including unique advantage to the digestive health.Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria are two examples of live cultures used in many yogurts. These have been found to be good for digestive health. They are probiotic in nature, meaning that they are fibrous and healthy for the gut microbiota. In one study, a group of people who experienced delayed stool and bloating reported improved conditions only after taking plain yogurt with live cultures. If you want to reap these benefits, avoid pasteurized yogurts as these have undergone heat treatment which kills the bacteria.
May boost the immune system
Besides the health benefits stated above, yogurt can also act as a boost for your immune system. This is primarily because yogurt contains trace amounts of zinc, selenium, and magnesium, all of which are needed for good health and immune boost. Besides, plain yogurt is rich in probiotics, which are also known for boosting immunity. Besides reducing how severe and regular common colds occur, probiotics also help reduce inflammation. Yet, inflammation is the major cause of many chronic illnesses. The vitamin D-fortified yogurts also help promote immunity boost fighting the common cold and the related complications.
Keeping blood pressure in check
High blood pressure is a common issue today, and if it goes unchecked, it forms the basis for heart disease, the world’s top killer disease, and kidney disease. Taking yogurt is thought to be an effective way to keep the blood pressure in check and lower the risk of kidney and heart diseases. This is because although plain yogurt contains only trace amounts of potassium, these ions are great in cutting down sodium ions, which often heighten blood pressure. Low-fat yogurt is especially useful for controlling blood pressure.
Reduced risks of yeast infections
Yeast infections are among the top fungal infections affecting different parts of people’s bodies today. Yet, research shows that taking plain yogurt regularly directly correlates with reduced risks of yeast infections. Although the exact mechanism for this has not been identified, it goes without a say that taking yogurt will reduce your risk for ringworms and athlete’s foot, among other infections.
May offer protection against osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a common problem among the elderly. It often leads to the wearing out of bones and reduced bone density. Yet, taking yogurt, among other low-fat dairy products, is directly linked to the reduced risks of osteoporosis. This is because yogurt is rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which are critical nutrients for boosting bone density and mass. Besides, some yogurt variants are fortified with vitamin D, making them even more useful for protecting against osteoporosis and bone mass wearing.
Conclusion
While pasteurized yogurt may be creamy and tasty, plain unsweetened natural yogurt is the best form of yogurt and has incredible health benefits. Immunity boost, protection from osteoporosis, and controlled blood pressure levels are among the key advantages of plain yogurt. Peer into this article for more information on the benefits of plain yogurt.
MS, Lund University, Sweden
Nutrition plays an important role in human life. Eating habits are one of the factors that affect our health. There is often a misconception among people that nutritionists force a very restrictive diet, but that is not true. In fact, I don't ban any products, but I point out dietary mistakes and help change them by giving tips and new recipes that I've tried myself. I advise my patients not to resist change and to be purposeful. Only with willpower and determination can a good result be achieved in any area of life, including changing eating habits. When I don't work, I love to go climbing. On a Friday evening, you are most likely to find me on my couch, cuddling with my dog and watching some Netflix.
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