Healthy Lifestyles

Yogurt and It's Health Benefits

Yogurt is an amazing food. When you are choosing yogurt it is important, as with everything to read the label. One of the most critical things to look for in a yogurt, is the active cultures. Studies show that live and active cultures found in yogurt may protect against heart disease and colon cancer and boost the immune system. The National Yogurt Association has adopted a seal that can be used only by yogurt manufacturers whose products contain a minimum number of live yogurt cultures per gram of yogurt at the time of manufacture. "LAC-labeled" yogurts are always kept refrigerated before sale and have a relatively short shelf-life! Heat-treated yogurts, on the other hand, do not contain live cultures. They do not need to be refrigerated and have longer shelf-lives. The most important difference, however, is the health benefits derived from eating yogurts with live cultures, which are not present in heat-treated yogurts! Research has given us good reason to believe that yogurt can help decrease symptoms of lactose intolerance, help restore and maintain a healthy environment in the intestinal tract for the indigenous flora essential to digestion and good health, decrease recurrence of vaginal yeast infections, and reduce the incidence and duration of some type of diarrhea.

Yogurt is easier to digest than milk. Many adults who have trouble digesting lactose can eat yogurt because the bacteria breaks down some of the lactose in milk. In some cases, the bacteria may stay alive for a while in the intestinal tract continuing to help digest the lactose. However, it depends on the brand of yogurt and the degree of lactose intolerance. Many people claim yogurt makes them feel better, gives them more energy, or makes their digestive system healthier. Rich in calcium, protein and vitamins, yogurt has clear nutritional benefits as well. Typically a cup of yogurt has 450 mg of calcium, compared to 300 in a cup of milk. This is 30 - 50 percent of most people's daily needs. You can also get 20 - 25 percent of your daily protein needs from yogurt, and it is a better source of B vitamins (including folacin), phosphorus and potassium than milk. Fruit yogurt is somewhat less nutritious because the fruit (usually preserves) takes up space in the cup; thus you get more sugar and less yogurt. Current recommendations suggest that yogurt is an excellent food for children over three months of age. It can be gradually introduced into the diet as the child begins to learn to eat solid foods (usually between four and six months). In fact, the semisolid, spoonable form of yogurt makes it especially well adapted for older infants. Yogurt provides an excellent source of calcium and protein for children who may not always be willing to eat the most nutritious foods! Yogurt can be used as an alternative to meat in school lunches under a rule that was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 2, 1997

Another interesting fact: Did you know that up to 60% of a healthy adult's weight is made up of water? About 2.5 quarts (2.4 liters) of fluids are ingested and excreted everyday! But, people often don't think of drinking water during the day. Yogurt contains 88% water, and is therefore a great source of water as well as nutrients! Some people think that because yogurt is more acidic than milk, it may actually cause osteoporosis. This is completely false! Not only is yogurt not decalcifying, but the lactose in yogurt even helps to improve calcium absorption. And because it is such an excellent source of calcium, people at risk for osteoporosis would do well to eat at least one yogurt per day! With all the wonderful reasons to eat yogurt, don’t be fooled into thinking that snacks such as frozen yogurt and yogurt covered pretzels will give you the same benefits. It may mean a snack that is lower in fat, but don’t assume that. Be sure to read the labels.