Top 10 benefits of yogurt for your health

These are the main benefits of yogurt from a nutrition and health point of view.

Yogurt is one of those foods that has received great fame in recent decades. There are many advertisements on television in which, by way of advertising claims, the properties of this food are emphasized.

Is there any truth in this? Well, it seems so, and it is not something that has been known only recently. Yogurt has acquired a reputation as a kind of natural medicine thanks to the many properties it brings with it.

Here we are going to discover the 10 benefits of yogurthow it is produced and what is the recommended daily amount to consume.

The main benefits of yogurt

How many yogurts do you usually drink? You may be one of those who have it very incorporated in your life, having it for breakfast or as a dessert. Yogurt is one of the most common foods in our society and it is not surprising because, besides being very tasty, it is an easy and quick food to take, which we can take anywhere and to which multiple properties are attributed, especially if it is consumed in its natural state.

The reason why certain properties are attributed to it has to do directly with how it is produced. Natural yogurt is a dairy product that is obtained by fermenting the milk through fermentation of milk by microorganisms, specifically Lactobacillus bulgaricus Lactobacillus bulgaricus y Streptococus thermophiluswhich work on the milk in such a way that they ferment it and give it the characteristics of yogurt.

The process begins with pasteurization, a process in which the milk is heated to eliminate any pathogens. Once this is done, the fermentation process itself begins, in which the microorganisms we have mentioned, bacteria that are good for our organism, are incorporated into the milk. What these lactobacilli and streptococci do is that, if the milk is kept at about 40ºC for a few hours, they reproduce by consuming the milk sugars (lactose).

As everything that goes in has to come out sooner or later, these microorganisms transform the lactose into lactic acid in the form of waste, a substance which coagulates the proteins that are naturally present in the milk, causing the yogurt to acquire its distinctive creamy appearance and texture. Once this has been achieved, the fermentation process is completed by keeping the yogurt at low temperatures and preventing the microorganisms from remaining active..

The milk used to make yogurt can be cow, goat, sheep... and there are even vegan options that have tried to emulate the same benefits attributed to the original product. We can find yogurts with all kinds of flavors, with sugar or other substitutes, but the most beneficial for health are, without a doubt, natural yogurts. Below we will explain their main benefits.

1. High nutrient content

One of the reasons why yogurt is so widely consumed is that it is a food with a high nutrient content. It is one of the best sources of calcium, a mineral that is essential to keep our bones and teeth in good condition..

This food is also rich in vitamin B12, a substance that is said to help prevent heart disease, as well as phosphorus and potassium, substances that strengthen the immune system.

Lactose is a sugar that is difficult to digest and can cause discomfort such as abdominal pain, diarrhea and gas, especially in those who are lactose intolerant. Fortunately, yogurts are among the lactose yogurts are among the dairy products that are low in lactose thanks to their own fermentation process, which makes this dairy product a good source of lactose.which makes this dairy product a good dose of calcium for lactose-intolerant people.

2. High protein content

Another benefit of yogurt is its high protein content. Proteins, in addition to providing us with energy, are active agents in appetite regulation because they increase the production of hormones that indicate fullness in the stomach.

In addition, the main benefit of consuming foods rich in proteins is that it is these substances that contribute to the formation and maintenance of muscle mass.keeping our muscles healthy and strong.

The proteins present in yogurt have a high biological value, since they provide a wide variety of they provide a great variety of amino acidsThey are the basic units for making other proteins. This makes yogurt an essential food in any diet low in protein, especially vegetarian diets.

3. Improves our digestive health

One of the reasons why yogurt is so famous is that it is said to help our digestive health. This food is probiotic, that is, it contributes to the production of microorganisms that are beneficial to our health, in particular the intestinal flora, calling it a natural medicine.

The healthier our intestinal flora is, the better our digestions will be.It will also facilitate the intestinal transit, avoiding constipation and diarrhea. It can also help people with irritable bowel syndrome, as yogurts with added bifidobacteria contribute to better digestive health in these patients.

4. Strengthens the immune system

Closely related to the previous point, yogurt is a food that strengthens the immune system. is a food that strengthens the immune system because it is rich in probiotics.. Thanks to this, it reduces the likelihood of contracting a disease, and it also has Anti-Inflammatory properties.

5. Prevents osteoporosis

Related to the first point, yogurt prevents osteoporosis thanks to its high calcium content and, also, of having among its nutrients vitamin D and also being a food with between 15 and 20% of the recommended daily amount of calcium. In addition, since it has an acid pH, it facilitates the absorption of calcium, its acid pH facilitates the absorption of this mineral, preventing it from being wasted.preventing it from being wasted or excreted.

6. Improves cardiovascular health

We have previously mentioned that yogurt contributes to the prevention of heart problems because it contains vitamin B12, however, this is also due to the fact that it has a high concentration of monounsaturated fats. high concentration of monounsaturated fats.. It is these fats that provide a high dose of "good" cholesterol (HDL), an element that helps reduce blood pressure.

7. Contributes to physical recovery

We mentioned earlier that yogurt contains protein in abundance. In addition to this, it also has healthy carbohydrates and it has been seen that this food does not interfere in the creation and production of elastin and collagen. All these factors contribute to physical recovery after intense physical activity, in addition to the fact that they also contribute to good muscle and dermal health, i.e., healthy skin.

8. It does not damage teeth

As long as it is natural yogurt, without added sugars, it is a good food to preserve teeth. Not only for the fact that it contains a high calcium content, but it is also a dessert that, since it does not contain sugars, does not damage our teeth and does not favor the appearance of cavities. a dessert that does not contain sugars and therefore does not damage our teeth and does not favor the appearance of cavities, dental problems which can lead to tooth decay.It is also a dessert that does not contain sugars and does not favor the appearance of cavities, dental problems which can lead to the loss of some teeth.

9. High content of omega 3

Yogurt is considered a very good food thanks to its omega 3 content. If the concentration of this nutrient in yogurt is not as high as in oily fish, it is thanks to the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in yogurt. is thanks to the amount of omega 3 it possesses that yogurt is a very good option to include in vegetarian diets to make up for the lack of omega 3 in oily fish. to make up for the lack of this nutrient.

10. Rich and low in calories

In addition to tasting good, it has the great advantage of having few calories in relation to the nutrients it provides, nutrients which are hardly lost in the nutrients. As we have mentioned, these foods have phosphorus, potassium, several vitamins in addition to riboflavin, contributing at least 10-15% of the daily dietary intake.

If we are interested in losing weight, this food is perfect because it will help us to avoid being hungry at the same time that we will have a good ration of nutrients. It may cost us a little at first its sugar-free taste, but after a few yogurts it will taste even a little sweet, and we can include it in our diet replacing desserts and other hypercaloric foods..

To give us an idea of how few calories it has:

• Natural cow's milk yogurt (125g, normal serving): 76.8 kcal.
• Skimmed yogurt: 56 kcal
• Glass of whole milk (200ml): 131 kcal
• Glass of generic milkshake: 155-355 kcal

And how many yogurts should we drink?

As we were saying, yogurt is one of the most consumed foods in society thanks to how easy, convenient and quick it is to drink. While there are those who have it incorporated into almost every meal they have, the truth is that the average is between 3 and 4 yogurts a week, which is a little far from what is recommended by experts to enjoy the many benefits that we have discussed in the previous section.

It is recommended to take at least one yogurt a day. Its nutritional profile, probiotic and preventive of multiple diseases are more than enough reasons to decide to incorporate it into our daily dietary routine. Although it is preferable that we take it natural, without sugar or anything added, flavored yogurts can be consumed as a whim, being much healthier than any dessert, pastry or shake that we can find in the market.