Yogurt is a dairy food that provides incredible health benefits for people, including preventing diseases or contributing to maintaining a healthy body, all thanks to the properties it possesses.
Therefore, in the following article some of the benefits of yogurt will be explained in detail, as well as the properties it possesses and its preparation.
What is yogurt?
Yogurt is a dairy food that favors human nutrition , which is made through a fermentation process of specific milk bacteria such as bifidobacterium bifidum, streptococcus thermophilus , and lactobacillus bulgaricus , being responsible for providing benefits to the Health.
Important: An article published on yogurt in the Lasallian Research Magazine confirms that these bacteria are responsible for lowering cholesterol , improving intestinal flora, preventing cancer, and strengthening the immune system. (1)
What are the benefits of yogurt?
As mentioned before, yogurt provides incredible benefits to people’s health, being a highly recommended food to prevent diseases or strengthen the immune system, among others that will be highlighted below:
1. Strengthens the immune system
One of the main benefits that yogurt provides is that it helps strengthen the immune system, which is important to combat the appearance of diseases or infections that may arise in the body, thus granting a healthier life.
Note: A study published by the Organization of Consumers and Users on yogurt confirms that the immune system is strengthened by this food thanks to the probiotics it contains, since they are responsible for maintaining or improving the normal microbiota. (two)
2. Prevents cardiovascular diseases
Yogurt is a dairy food that helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, due to the probiotics that it possesses, since antioxidant properties are attributed to it that have the ability to neutralize free radicals in the body, thus granting a lower risk of suffering from this disease. type of pathologies.
Important: Aarticle published by the American Journal of Hypertension , concluded that consuming yogurt 2 times a week significantly decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women. (3)
3. Lowers blood pressure
Yogurt consumption helps people reduce their blood pressure, thanks to the dairy proteins it contains, since these in turn are derived into small peptides, which have the ability to relax blood vessels in the body.
To highlight: A study on Amino Acids, Peptides and Proteins, explains that there are proteins that function as supports in the body, one of them being elastin, which has the ability to provide elasticity in the arteries, thus reducing blood pressure. (4)
4. Strengthens bones and teeth
The strengthening of bones and teeth can be increased with the consumption of yogurt , since it is a dairy food that is rich in calcium, this mineral being quite essential to maintain good bone density throughout the body.
In addition, those people who have calcium deficiency in their body can have low bone density in their body, making all their bones brittle and brittle, making them easier to fracture. Therefore, yogurt is an excellent ally to strengthen your bone system.
5. Improves digestive health
Other benefits that yogurt provides is that it helps improve digestive health in people, because it protects the intestinal flora thanks to the probiotics that this dairy has, for which it is recommended to combat constipation.
Important: Yogurt does not contain lactose since it is degraded to lactic acid by the bacteria contained in said food, therefore yogurt is an excellent alternative for lactose intolerant people.
6. Increases physical energy
Physical energy can be increased with the consumption of yogurt, since it is a food that is rich in magnesium , this being an important mineral to reduce fatigue and maintain proper functioning of the nervous system.
Fun fact: Yogurt, like other milk derivatives, contains a natural sugar called “lactase”, which is made up of glucose and galactose. These 2 are the 2 sugars that the body uses as a source of energy.
7. Helps control weight
Yogurt is considered an ideal food for overweight people, since it contains a high amount of protein that helps regulate appetite and has a very low portion of calories and fat, which decreases the risk of obesity.
8. Promotes skin health
One of the benefits that can be well highlighted of yogurt is that it favors better skin health, since it is used to exfoliate and clean parts of the body with acne, because it has a good amount of zinc that helps to eliminate acne. said problem.
Important: It should be clarified that yogurts that are sweetened or flavored with some other food are not healthy for the skin, since they can irritate it or generate more acne, therefore a neutral yogurt with live cultures is recommended.
What properties does yogurt have?
The main properties that yogurt possesses are vitamins, minerals and amino acids, which play a fundamental role in receiving the aforementioned health benefits, which is why they will be explained briefly and in detail below.
For this, reference will be made to a study that was prepared at the University of Rovira in Spain, where each of the nutritional values of yogurt and its quality in the diet are discussed. (5)
1. Vitamins
Vitamins A, D, B2, B3 and B12 are the most prominent in yogurt, which fulfill vital functions in the body such as improving vision, strengthening the immune system, keeping the body’s bones healthy, among other benefits.
Note: Also found in yogurt, but to a lesser extent, is vitamin E , which is a micronutrient that acts as an antioxidant in the body, and vitamin K , which helps blood clots form in the body.
2. Minerals
Yogurt is a dairy food that has multiple minerals , the most prominent being calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, sodium, iodine, and potassium . All these micronutrients have regulatory and important functions in the body.
3. Amino acids
One of the most outstanding properties of yogurt is that it is a food with a high content of amino acids, which are considered highly digestible due to the action of different proteolytic bacteria in which they release peptides.
How to prepare homemade yogurt?
Once the benefits that yogurt provides for health and the properties it possesses are known, its preparation at home should be mentioned and explained in detail , in order to include it in a healthy diet.
Ingredients
- Whole or low-fat milk
- Ferment (industrial yogurt)
- sweetener to taste
Preparation
- For the preparation of the yogurt, the milk must be heated in a pot to reach a maximum temperature of 80 degrees. A thermometer is used as a tool to measure heat.
- The milk is heated until some bubbles are achieved on the edges of the pot, and at that moment it is removed to let it cool to 45 degrees.
- Then the hot milk must be mixed with the ferment to start the fermentation process. In this step you can use kitchen towels to keep the temperature or place it in the oven.
- The fermentation process must last at least 8-12 hours to achieve a thick texture.
- Finally, added sugar or another sweetener to taste is placed and refrigerated in the fridge.
Key Findings
- Yogurt is a dairy product , which is made through a process of fermentation of milk and ferment.
- This food provides incredible health benefits for people, the most notable being the strengthening of the immune system and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
- It should also be mentioned that yogurt is a food that helps regulate body weight in people, and it is recommended to include it in diets that seek to combat obesity.
- Yogurt has incredible nutritional properties, where a wide variety of vitamins and minerals can be mentioned , as well as its high amount of amino acids.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.