Yogurt is a great example of the interaction principle that nutritionists often talk about. For this purpose they take different products, as a result of the combination of which a new valuable product is formed. You will find out whether yogurt is healthy from our article.

Useful properties of yogurt

First, yogurt is digested better than milk, therefore it is useful for people suffering from lactose intolerance, allergy sufferers who do not tolerate milk protein. Due to fermentation, milk sugar is broken down into glucose and galactose, which are easily digestible by the body.

Yogurt keeps your colon healthy. The lactobacilli that make up yogurt improve intestinal function and prevent the risk of developing colon cancer.

Nutrients of yogurt:

• B vitamins;
• Vitamin A;
• Vitamin PP;
• Vitamin C;
• Choline.

Minerals:

• Calcium;
• Sodium;
• Magnesium;
• Chlorine;
• Sulfur;
• Manganese;
• Phosphorus;
• Potassium;
• Zinc;
• Iron;
• Fluorine;
• Chromium.

Yogurt improves the absorption of the rest nutrients, including calcium and vitamin B.

Yogurt is good for the immune system and helps recovery after intestinal infections. This product minimizes negative impact antibiotics on the intestinal mucosa, preventing them from killing beneficial bacteria.

Yogurt can suppress fungal infections. This is a valuable source of calcium, half of which is in yogurt daily norm for a child and 40% of the norm for an adult.

Yogurt is richest source proteins. It contains about 10-14 grams of protein, which is 20% of a person’s daily requirement.

Yogurt can reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol.

Yogurt is easily absorbed by the body itself and improves absorption useful vitamins and microelements contained in all foods consumed per day.

Yogurt is contraindicated:

• For gastritis;
• For stomach or duodenal ulcers;
• With flatulence;
• For diarrhea;
• For kidney diseases.
• It is not recommended to give yogurt to children under one year of age.

How much yogurt can you eat per day?

100-200 grams of yogurt (or two cups) will help the body intensively produce interferon, which improves immunity. This will also help maintain normal microflora vagina, will reduce the level of development of fungal infections.

How to choose yogurt

Real yogurt must contain two ingredients: milk and live lactic acid bacteria. The presence of cream, casein, and whey in yogurt is acceptable.

The thickness of the yogurt is not important; bacteria can live in liquid, semi-liquid and thick masses.

The smell of yogurt corresponds to the smell of sour milk.

The calorie content of yogurt should be about 200 - 250 kcal.

How to store yogurt

The maximum shelf life of natural yogurt is 14 days. It is best to keep it in the refrigerator.

Recipes for healthy dishes with yogurt

Tzatziki

To prepare tzatziki sauce, add 5 cloves of chopped garlic and 3 grated garlic to thick yogurt (375 g). fresh cucumber. The resulting mixture should be seasoned with black pepper and salt, add 4 tbsp. spoons olive oil And lemon juice, herbs to taste and mix everything thoroughly.
This is a traditional Greek sauce served with vegetables or bread.

Tarator with cucumbers and yogurt

1. Cut 3 cucumbers into small pieces.
2. Clean 2-3 walnuts, adding them to the dish chopped.
3. Finely chop the greens that your family loves.
4. Salt and pepper.
5. Season with 500 grams of yogurt.
6. Let the soup brew in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

This cold soup is popular in summer in Bulgaria and Macedonia. In these countries, the answer to the question of whether yogurt is healthy is yes.

Bon appetit!

Yogurt can be considered the most popular fermented milk product. Both children and adults enjoy it; it is included in diets and used in cosmetology. Not all yogurts presented on store shelves can benefit the body. Most of them pass heat treatment and they become useless for health.

Only natural yogurt, containing live bacteria, of which per 1 gram. the product must contain at least 107 CFU.

The benefits of yogurt are determined by the beneficial properties of the milk used for its preparation. This product has features - these are live bacteria, which make it unique. Bifidobacteria are able to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria that cause many diseases. They normalize the intestinal microflora, neutralize harmful influence nitrites and suppress fungi. Thanks to this, live yogurt will become an assistant in the fight against gastrointestinal problems. It will help prevent candidiasis and colon cancer.

One more remarkable property yogurt is that, unlike milk and other dairy products, it does not cause allergic reactions in people allergic to lactose. During the ripening process, living bacteria process almost all the lactose and release substances that facilitate the absorption of the product. Yogurt improves the intestinal absorption of other foods.

Eating a glass of yogurt in the morning and evening is beneficial, since the bacteria contained in it stimulate blood cells that fight infections and force the body to actively produce the protein interferon, which is the body’s natural defense.

Correct composition of yogurt

The benefits of yogurt are not limited to the content of live bacteria. This product has a lot useful substances. It contains vitamins PP, C, A and almost all B vitamins, sodium, potassium, fluorine, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, mono- and disaccharides, organic acids and saturated fatty acids. This composition of yogurt makes it valuable product, which should be present in the diet of adults and children.

On average, one person consumes from 10 to 40 kilograms per year, but in our country this figure hardly reaches two kilograms per person, which is also a lot. The reason for such popularity of yoghurts is good advertising, claiming that this product can significantly improve human health.

But is yogurt really as beneficial for humans as it is advertised to us? What are the actual benefits and harms of yogurt packaged in a beautiful jar and wrapper? What is really hidden under this packaging? Today we will look into this.

First of all, it is worth considering that only homemade yogurt made from a special starter containing two or more active living bacteria, the concentration of which must be at least 10 million cells, has a positive effect on the body - only under such conditions will yogurt be useful.

These bacteria do not live very long, so real yogurt can be stored for no more than a week at temperatures up to +7 degrees Celsius. So think about it: what is in store-bought yogurt, the shelf life of which reaches 30 days or even more?

Natural yogurt differs from kefir only in the presence of and. What is its use?

• Rich in vitamins and mineral components. These substances strengthen our bones and help them to fully develop, have a general strengthening effect on the body and prevent harmful effects infections;
• Strengthens the immune system. Daily consumption of 300 grams of yogurt, which contains active microflora, significantly strengthens the immune system and, accordingly, helps prevent colds and viral diseases. After a few months of regularly taking yogurt, you will notice how much less you get sick;
• Ensures gastrointestinal health. Can't help but affect daily use yogurt and on the condition of the gastrointestinal tract. It helps with metabolic disorders affecting the stomach, as well as diarrhea. Some types of yogurt retain favorable microflora and protect gastrointestinal tract while taking antibiotics, which kill bacteria in it and expose the body to new infections. Moreover, yogurt contains lactobacilli and calcium. The first of these components provides beneficial microflora intestines, and the other not only maintains the integrity and elasticity of our bones, but also supports normal work intestines and even prevents the activity of bacteria that provoke the occurrence of cancer of this organ;
• Helps in the treatment of thrush (vaginal candidiasis). Taking natural yogurt reduces the number of bacteria that lead to the appearance of plaque on the mucous membrane, similar to dairy products;
• Beneficial for people with lactose intolerance. When yogurt is consumed, its lactic acid bacteria perform the function of digesting lactose, so this product can be consumed by people whose bodies do not have enough enzymes to fully process dairy products;
• Removes excess cholesterol from the body. Eating 100 grams of yogurt a day can get rid of bad cholesterol and increase the number good cholesterol in the blood, which will help improve the condition of the whole body;
• Eliminates pathogenic microorganisms . This is caused by the product's ability to synthesize lactate.

It is worth noting that just 100 grams of yogurt contain 15% of the daily requirement of phosphorus and 25% of calcium. It contains easily digestible protein that does not cause allergic reactions.

The beneficial properties of this product are almost similar, therefore, in addition to the above properties and recommendations for use, it is effective for:

• Elderly people;
• Suffering from dysbacteriosis;
• Prevention and treatment of colitis, enteritis;
• Improving the condition of the cardiovascular system;
• Fortifications of the central nervous system, improve mood and prevent depression thanks to magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B5, iron and calcium;
• Prevention of osteoporosis (calcium contained in yogurt strengthens bones);
• Treatment of enteritis and colitis;
• Prevention and treatment of diseases characterized by decreased function thyroid gland and adrenal glands;
• Balancing hormonal levels women during hormonal disorders and breastfeeding;
• Activation of the brain;
• Blocking carcinogens and cleansing the body after poisoning;
• Restoring normal weight.

Harm of yogurt

All these properties are remarkable only for natural yogurt. However, today on store shelves you can find yoghurts with a shelf life of about 30 days, which means that such products will be in best case scenario useless, and at worst will cause harm where natural yogurt benefits the human body.

• Almost all yoghurts contain the preservative E1442. This preservative is necessary in order to increase the shelf life of yogurt, while it destroys all beneficial properties components of this product that could really have an impact positive influence on the body. Instead, according to most medical practitioners, the substance E1442 (hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate) provokes serious illness pancreas – pancreatic necrosis. These are large molecules contained in corn starch, which, in turn, is part of genetically modified corn and slowly destroys the pancreas, reduces its activity and provokes the occurrence of serious diseases;
• These products high content Sahara. Homemade yogurt contains about 6 grams of sugar per 150 grams of product, while store-bought yogurts contain 3-6 times more. Yogurt producers came to this decision in order to increase their popularity among consumers and make them much more attractive than more healthy kefir, or sourdough. The sweet and attractive taste of yogurt makes it suitable for consumption large quantities, and this is fraught with edema, obesity, damage to the oral cavity and teeth. The presence of an abundance of sugars makes this product dangerous for diabetics and leads to calcium leaching. It should also be noted that different types yogurt are not characterized by the content of various fruits, but by flavorings that are harmful to human health. Also, most store-bought yogurts contain sodium citrate (E331), which causes an increase in the acidity of the stomach and oral cavity;
• In yoghurts they are destroyed very quickly useful components . After a few days, bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, which our body needs, disappear after a few days of storing yogurt. And the fact that this product it is stored in stores for a month or more, and buyers do not purchase it in the first days after the date of manufacture, which means that they can only “enjoy” stabilizers and flavorings;
• Fruits cannot exist with lactic acid bacteria. Then what are these ingredients that I find in yogurt? – you ask. Pieces, and have long lost all their beneficial properties, as they are added to this product in canned or frozen form. The reason is that fruit acids are incompatible with beneficial bacteria fermented milk products. In most cases, instead of real pieces fresh fruit or flavored and enriched with sugar or added to yogurt citric acid the pressings that remain after the production of jelly or marmalade. Such pieces are sterilized using a rather original method, exposing them to radioactive radiation;
• Forms dangerous carcinogens in the body. Do you love yogurt for its attractive taste? And how much the kids like him! So, the presence of this taste in store-bought yoghurts you should “thank” manufacturers for adding aspartame or the flavor enhancer E-951 to their composition. When these substances enter the body, they are released formic acid, formaldehyde and other harmful carcinogens;
• Yogurt can ferment. This process occurs after the expiration date or the appearance of mold, yeast and putrefactive bacteria. The proliferation of these microbes leads to the release of carbon dioxide and swelling of the packaging;
• Most bacteria entering the human body are destroyed immune system human body. The same bacteria that managed to overcome the attack of the immune system provoke the occurrence of gases and diarrhea, which indicates that they have entered the body harmful microbes and toxic substances.

Even natural yogurt has a number of contraindications and is not recommended for:

• Gastritis associated with increased acidity stomach;
• Flatulence (increases gas formation);
• Diarrhea (has a laxative effect);
• Kidney disease (can cause kidney failure);
• Children under 1 year (irritates the stomach of a newborn);
• Peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum.

What can certainly be said about this product is that the benefits and harms of yogurt are a rather controversial issue. It is safe to say that there are many alternative products that have a much better effect on the body, for example, kefir.

Store-bought yoghurts are just a marketing ploy and a deception of manufacturers who want to make big money minimum costs, and they don’t care at all about your health. If you still want to treat yourself to yogurt, prepare it at home - this way you will know that it does not contain any harmful chemical additives.

Nutritional value and chemical composition of yogurt

• Nutritional value
• Vitamins
• Macronutrients
• Microelements

Calorie content 68 kcal
Proteins 5 g
Fat 3.2 g
Carbohydrates 3.5 g
Organic acids 1.3 g
Water 86.3 g
Ash 0.7 g

Vitamin A, RE 22 mcg
Retinol 0.02 mg

There are on store shelves large number fermented milk products. One of them is bio-yogurt. What is this useful weight, containing live microorganisms, nutritionists will tell you. But if you don’t have time to turn to specialists, before organizing yourself a fasting day on such a product or taking it in unlimited quantities, you need to figure out the issue yourself.

What is the difference between yogurt and bio-yogurt?

These two products are similar in appearance, but differ in their effect on the body. Bioyogurt:

1. Contains live bacteria;
2. During production it is not subjected to heat treatment;
3. Has a limited shelf life of about two weeks;
4. Retains its properties and does not deteriorate only in the refrigerator;
5. Has no strangers chemicals in the composition.

Regular yogurt:

• Is a source of fats and carbohydrates;
• It satisfies hunger well;
• Does not contain live bacteria;
• During production it is subjected to heat treatment;
• May contain chemical dyes;
• Has a shelf life of up to a year;
• Can be stored at room temperature.

Thus, the differences between regular yogurt and a bioproduct are obvious. It cannot be said that one of them is worse or better than the other. They just have different composition and have different effects on the body.

Composition of the bioproduct

The composition may vary in different bio-yogurts. Therefore you should consider main components, which you may find on the packaging:

1. Normalized milk. This component is made only under production conditions. In living nature, no milk has the same fat content. Therefore, in order to be able to write a specific percentage of fat content of a product on the packaging, manufacturers process it until the desired indicator is achieved;
2. Reconstituted milk is a product that laboratory conditions dried from live milk. At the same time, it lost all the beneficial milk properties and as a result, only milk sugar remained - lactose. After that, at the dairy production it was diluted with water and added in this form to the composition of yogurt. Such manipulations are usually done to reduce cost and increase shelf life;
3. Filler is a sweet additive to a product designed to make it sweeter and tastier. But it does not bring any benefit, since the filler is always subjected to heat treatment and the beneficial properties of the components are lost. The filler usually contains fruits, syrups, bran and concentrated juice;
4. Leaven must be present in bio-yogurt, and preferably be one of the first on the list. It is thanks to this component dairy product becomes yogurt;
5. Lactic acid bacteria develop successfully when milk and starter are combined and are indicated on the packaging in the number of colony-forming units (CFU) per gram of product. However, some manufacturers prefer to add additional bifidobacteria to the product.

Thus, if necessary, purchase a quality product, beneficial to your health, carefully study its composition. Know that first of all, the composition should indicate the component that contains the most content in the composition, and then in descending order.

Bioyogurt: benefits and harms

The advantages of bio-yogurt lie primarily in its beneficial influence on the body:

1. Lactic acid bacteria improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
2. Warns oncological diseases intestines;
3. Helps increase calcium in the body;
4. Increases the body's resistance to fight infections;
5. Prevents vascular problems and reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke.

However, like everything else in our lives, you need to know the norm when consuming bio-yogurt. Otherwise he is capable of inflicting harm:

• Large amounts of calcium can cause seizures;
• When consumed on an empty stomach, the product causes upset, especially if you already have weak intestines;
• Improper storage of the product at home, in a store or during transportation makes it hazardous to health, as pathogenic bacteria begin to develop in it.

Thus, before using bio-yogurt, analyze your body. Everything here is individual, just like when taking medications.

What and when is the best time to eat it?

It is better to eat bio-yogurt from lunchtime until the night. This is due to the following factors:

• After sleep, all body functions are normal and independently cope with digestion and bowel movements;
• After lunch, the stomach needs help in processing food;
• Bioyogurt, due to its low fat content, does not cause a feeling of heaviness;
• Low in calories and can be used as a snack before bed.

A healthy adult needs to consume a glass of organic yogurt daily. This will help:

1. Restore calcium balance in the body;
2. Speed ​​up metabolic processes.

Bioyogurt is best taken after meals. You should not spend fasting days using fermented milk products. This will cause intestinal problems. You can add natural fruits or nuts to it, this way you will make it even tastier and healthier.

How to prepare bio-yogurt at home?

If you have the time and desire to really get natural product, made with your own hands, then you will need:

• Milk;
• Leaven.

Sourdough in powder form, packaged in bottles, is best purchased at a pharmacy. The cooking method is as follows:

1. Boil the milk. Make sure it doesn't run away;
2. Allow it to cool to a temperature that is tolerable to the touch;
3. Stir a bottle of starter into a spoonful of boiled milk;
4. Pour mixture into milk;
5. Stir the contents of the pan and pour into portioned jars;
6. Cover with lids or cling film and wrap well in a blanket;

In 12 hours, your healthy bio-yogurt will be ready. Cool it in the refrigerator and you can start enjoying it.

Thus, in our time, when proper nutrition cultivated everywhere, extremely popular product became bio-yogurt. Track and field athletes, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts know what this substance is and how it affects our health. However, although it is freely available in stores and supermarkets, you should not abuse the frequency of its use, since the benefits will only come with a reasonable approach.

Video: Real benefits of bio-yogurt

In this video, nutritionist Polina Voronina will tell you under what conditions yogurt can be truly beneficial for the body:

We will talk to you today about the benefits and harms of yogurt, also about a diet using it, and of course, when is it healthier to eat it during the day. I will tell you about the rejuvenating effect of using a mask from this product. You will learn how to choose it correctly. And at the end I will share simple recipe preparing delicious and healthy homemade yogurt and what is the healthiest thing to combine it with.

History of yogurt

To understand the beneficial properties of yogurt, it is worth talking about the history of yogurt. It has been known for thousands of years. He was born on Balkan Peninsula. The ancient Bulgarians noticed that when milk sours, it lasts longer.

Naturally, in those days when they were nomads, this method suited them very well. It was convenient for them to do fermented milk product made from horse milk, we call it kumiss. Later they began to make it from sheep's milk(Greek yogurt). Nowadays it is made mainly from cow's milk.

As a result, a living culture that promotes the fermentation of milk became known as the Bulgarian stick. Translated from Greek, yogurt means long life. Therefore, it is no wonder that in Bulgaria there are a lot of people who live up to 100 years. It appeared in our country in the late 80s.

The benefits of yogurt

Large quantity vitamins, vitamin D, in particular calcium, lactobacilli thanks to this set of microelements and the benefits of yogurt add up.

On average, after thirty people lose 1% calcium, so it is recommended to drink at least one glass of fermented milk product, including yogurt. Just because it also contains vitamin D, which helps calcium to be absorbed well.

Included in live lactobacilli, help improve intestinal microflora and, accordingly, improve digestion.

Low-fat 1 - 2% is very useful; this is exactly the fat content that is recommended to be consumed from the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

It contains a protein called lactoferrin, which helps strengthen our bones. Thus, it can be recommended for such acute diseases like osteoporosis.

If a fermented milk product is fermented with a certain strain of acidophilus bacteria, which increase the production of altoferons, then it increases antiviral immunity. Such yoghurts are usually recommended for weakened people and children in the spring and autumn, when the incidence of illness is increased.

Yogurt is very useful for reducing damage to the heart. vascular system. A product with a fat content of 1 - 2% helps reduce levels bad cholesterol in the blood, and, therefore, prevents the development of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.

It is useful for the thyroid gland, due to the iodides of iodine salts, and we need them for its functioning.

Thyroid hormones give us vital energy. It is the iodides of iodine salts that are included in the composition that are necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland.

Harm of yogurt

If consumed in large quantities, yogurt can cause harm. Try to watch your diet, if you get a lot of calcium in it and in addition to yogurt, this can lead to muscle cramps from excess calcium. So keep a balance.

Due to the fact that it is fermented milk, yogurt is also contraindicated for those diseases when we need to maintain low acidity in the stomach. For example, yogurt is not recommended for gastritis.

You should not eat frozen yogurt, as in this form it loses a significant portion of calcium, lactobacilli, and vitamins. In general, almost all of its beneficial properties.

Yogurt diet

The idea of ​​dieting on or using yogurt very often arises in people. And what is tasty and healthy means not harmful. If you add it to your diet, then naturally you increase your daily caloric intake, thus the process of losing weight with yogurt and your usual food will be reversed.

Despite the beneficial properties of even a living product, it nevertheless contains a large amount of nutrients, including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; all these substances have their own calorie content.

Fasting day on yogurt

Then maybe a fasting day on yogurt. Yes, a fasting day is very useful tool V balanced diets, but it is better to use other products.

There are also a lot of positive articles and reviews about the yogurt diet and fasting days. But I'll try to explain.

Yogurt̶ this is a product that helps digest food. That is, it promotes the absorption of the food you eat during the day. And therefore, it is not very suitable as the only product for the day, since it is more effective as a morning sweet addition to your diet. So, in principle, on a fasting day it can be replaced with another product, for example, kefir, rice or buckwheat.

Yogurt for breakfast

Yogurt is suitable for breakfast for the reasons described above. For yogurt to be beneficial, it is best to eat it in the morning; in addition, Ayurveda recommends eating sweets only in the morning. That is, in the morning, yogurt can help start the stomach and will promote good absorption the rest of the food throughout the day.

But the most useful combination for breakfast for children and adults, this is yogurt with various seed sprouts, for example, but I also recommend, and.

Can you eat yogurt after meals?

But you shouldn’t eat yogurt after another meal, like dessert, since yogurt contains fruit, and fruit is digested faster than any other food, so these fruits will soon begin to “fight their way” into your stomach through the rest of your food.

Besides, everything modern doctors and nutritionists do not advise drinking after a meal for at least 1.5-2 hours, and yogurt, as you might guess, is a liquid product, so they should start any meal, and it is categorically undesirable to end with it.

Yogurt at night

It is not recommended to drink yogurt at night, as it contains a lot of carbohydrates, which are best not consumed before bedtime. We have already written about this separately in an article about what you can, and sometimes even need to eat at night.

And if you still want to eat something before bed, choose low-fat kefir or cottage cheese.

Yogurt face mask

A yogurt face mask is very useful.

How to do it and what is the effect:

1. You must first carry out a peeling procedure - cleansing the facial skin. Choose any method convenient for you. I can recommend doing it using vegetable oil with the addition of salt, sugar or coffee grounds.

Apply the product I recommend or your own to a cotton pad and rub it over your face. Your skin should turn red. Firstly, this way you exfoliate dead cells from the skin. Secondly, you increase blood flow and the influx of macrophage cells.

1. Now wipe your face and apply yogurt. Keep it like this for 5 - 10 minutes. Here macrophages that come from the vessels begin to act. Thus, they begin to absorb the live bacteria contained in the mask. During this process, they release growth factors, which means the process of birth of new fresh cells in your skin is started.
2. After 5 - 10 minutes, all this needs to be washed off.

Recipe for making yogurt at home

Now I will tell you a simple recipe for yogurt at home.

We will need a jar of natural live yoghurt and a liter of milk.

Take warm boiled milk and add natural yoghurt a spoonful per glass. Place the resulting mixture in a warm place for 5 - 6 hours. Thus, from one jar you can get five times more of this delicious product.

Also in some stores you can find special starter cultures for making yoghurt at home.

How to choose yogurt

Well, if you buy yoghurts in the store, they will no longer be so healthy, but at least pay attention to the packaging. Real yogurt does not contain preservatives. At the same time, the shelf life of a product that does not contain preservatives is no more than ten days. In real yogurt, the content of live cultures and lactic acid bacteria must be at least 1,000,000 per 1 ml of product.

Storage temperature is from 2 to 4 degrees, i.e. only in the refrigerator. And if it is in a warm place, then you should refuse such a purchase. Also, if you stored it at home in such conditions, it is better not to drink it, since any products, especially dairy products, should be consumed only in fresh, otherwise they may do more harm to your body than good.

So we talked about the benefits and harms of yogurt. That it is better not to use it for breakfast and at night. Fasting days It’s better not to do this with yogurt, but to choose another product for this. And also about its rejuvenating properties. If you liked the article, then share it in any of social networks there are special buttons at the end for this, and also read other articles about the benefits and harms of dairy products, for example, and even fermented baked milk. Thank you for reading us, friends.