Benefits of Yogurt for Health Apart from Smooth Digestion
Yogurt has been known for its benefits as a source of probiotics, which are good bacteria that help improve digestion. However, did you know that there are many other benefits of yogurt that you can’t miss?
Yogurt nutritional content
Yogurt is made by mixing cooked milk with bacteria, especially of the type Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. This mixture is then left in a temperature of 43 – 46 degrees Celsius for several hours.
Milk contains a type of sugar called lactose. The bacteria break down lactose, then turn it into lactic acid. This substance makes the milk thick and gives it the sour taste that is the hallmark of yogurt.
The process of fermenting food often not only changes the nutrients, but also enriches and enhances their quality. Unlike milk, consuming 100 grams of a glass of yogurt can provide your body with the following nutritional content.
- Energy: 52 kCal
- Protein: 3.3 grams
- Fat: 2.5 grams
- Carbs: 4 grams
- Vitamin A: 22 milligrams
- Thiamin (vitamin B1): 0.04 milligrams
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2): 0.1 milligrams
- Niacin (vitamin B3): 0.2 milligrams
- Calcium: 120 milligrams
- Phosphorus: 90 milligrams
- Iron: 0.1 milligrams
- Sodium: 40 milligrams
- Potassium: 299 milligrams
- Zinc: 0.6 milligrams
Health benefits of yogurt
Yogurt has a very wide range of properties, from digestion, bones and teeth, heart, to endurance. By consuming this fermented product, your body has the opportunity to get the following goodness.
1. A source of protein for the body
Protein is very important in cell growth and repair. Lack of protein can lead to loss of muscle mass, difficulty thinking, and brittle hair, skin and nails. Luckily, yogurt contains most of the protein you’ll need.
Every kind of yogurt may contain different amounts of protein. If you are looking for the highest protein content, give it a try greek yogurt. In 6 ounces greek contains 15-20 grams of protein which is roughly equivalent to 30% of daily needs.
2. Maintain healthy bones and teeth
Yogurt contains a number of nutrients that provide benefits for bone health, such as calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Some types of yogurt also contain vitamin D which helps absorption of calcium.
All of these nutrients are needed to maintain bone and tooth density and prevent osteoporosis. In addition, eating yogurt will not erode tooth enamel. The lactic acid in it actually works to protect your gums from infection.
3. Overcoming the symptoms of digestive problems
In addition to smooth bowel movements, the probiotics in yogurt also have the potential to treat symptoms of indigestion. For example, a study in 2016 show that bacteria Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus can reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Several other studies have also found that probiotics may be able to prevent diarrhea and constipation caused by taking antibiotics. You can get all these benefits simply by consuming a few tablespoons of yogurt before doing your activities.
4. Lowering blood pressure
A study shows that people who eat yogurt as much as 2-3 servings per day (or more) experience a decrease in blood pressure. This decrease even reached 50% compared to those who did not eat yogurt at all.
The benefits of this yogurt come from the potassium content which can remove excess sodium from the body. Sodium is a mineral that increases blood pressure, which is found in abundance high-salt foods.
5. Maintain heart health
Despite its high fat content, yogurt can actually increase the good cholesterol called HDL (high-density lipoprotein). According to several studies, this is why eating yogurt can reduce your overall risk of heart disease.
Its ability to lower blood pressure also nourishes the heart and blood vessels. According to experts, this benefit will be especially greater in people who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure.
6. Helps lose weight
Yogurt is often referred to as a healthy snack that will not make you fat. This is because the combination of probiotics, protein, and calcium in it can increase the production of antilapar hormones, namely GLP-1 and YY peptide.
That’s why you can fill up faster after eating yogurt and won’t be tempted to eat it again until the next meal. To get better results, take your pick greek yogurt which is shown to be more protein dense.
Like milk, yogurt is a source of beneficial nutrients, especially protein, vitamins and minerals. With the fermentation process, this also enriches the various nutrients so that their properties are increasingly diverse.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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