If you are trying to lose weight, thinking about losing weight, or simply have an interest in nutritious eating, then you have probably come across the yogurt hype. One of the first things that health-conscious eaters seem to go for at the grocery store is the dairy aisle, with a very specific goal in mind: yogurt.
Since yogurt has become such a fad, it is importantly to take a closer look at whether or not it can fulfill its promises—one should always be a little suspicious of major trends, especially in the diet and exercise world. Since many claim that yogurt is one of the staple, super foods in a nutritious diet, let’s see this dairy wonder food is all that it’s cracked up to be.
Experts agree that yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, protein and other nutrients. The biggest health attribute in yogurt is its probiotic nature; yogurt contains lactobacteria and other healthy bacteria that keep your body in balance. Eating yogurt regularly also has the following probiotic benefits:
- Improves colon health: Yogurt has lactobacteria which are bacteria that are friendly to your colon. They promote the growth of healthy bacteria and this then stops bile from being turned into carcinogenic bile acids.
- Immunity Booster: Yogurt is a healthy immunity booster since the probiotics keep the body’s systems in balance and running smoothly.
- Prevents Yeast Infections: Yogurt that contains live and active cultures decrease that inhibit yeast overgrowth in the body. Many people do not realize that yeast infections do not only affect women; yeast overgrowth is not restricted to female genitalia, it can actually systemically infect the entire body of both men and women. This is a condition commonly known as Candida Albicans. This condition is developed when the body is thrown off balance by way of immune disorders, heavy doses of antibiotics, or a diet high in sugar and processed foods. It can attack your blood or any other vital organ and it causes fatigue, chronic pain and severe moodiness.
- Lowers Cholesterol: Studies have shown that yogurt lowers your blood cholesterol and improves the overall health of your circulatory system.
As you can see, yogurt plays a vital role in keeping your body in balance. It is an excellent source of important nutrients and most people do not object to eating yogurt—it is generally well-liked. Here we have a case of hype living up to its promises. However, a word of warning: Yogurt is only as healthy as the rest of the ingredients in it. If you really want the full health power of yogurt, then you need to eat plain yogurt with no sugar or preservatives added. Eating yogurt loaded with sugar (as most flavored yogurts are, even the organic ones) will cancel out all of the health benefits, particularly its ability to combat yeast overgrowth. The good news is you can jazz up bland yogurt with slices of fruit, peanut butter or whatever other healthy thing you can find. In short: yogurt is as great as they say it is!