Misti Doi (Sweet Yogurt/curd from Bengal)

Everything You Should Know About Yogurt

Even though many people consume yogurt every day, they know very little or almost nothing about it.

Yogurt is a tasty food to consume and it helps with digestion, giving us a good energetic feeling. But a very few people know that it has many other benefits. After you read all the things below, you will certainly know all you should know about yogurt.

It contains probiotics

You must have heard about probiotics by now, how healthy they are but it would be good to know how they work and does our body really need them. We are the host for about 100 trillion good and bad bacteria living inside our digestive system. Probiotics represent the healthy bacteria inside our gastrointestinal tract.

People may associate the word “bacteria” with something that is bad for our health, but it is actually the opposite. With its powers to balance our immune system, keep pathogens in check, help in nutrient absorption, probiotics act like internal healers. Probiotics are required for daily digestive functions, as they help in gut cleaning. Most of the food that we consume, especially canned and processed food, can destroy the healthy bacteria in our body.

The health benefits

Yogurt helps in muscle building and also burns fat. The high amounts of protein will also help you stay fuller for longer periods of time, which means that you will not overeat and gain extra pounds. It is a complete protein, meaning it and has all the necessary biological functions that our body needs.

Yogurt is also rich in calcium and helps build healthy bones. For even greater help in keeping your bones strong and healthy, look for yogurts with added vitamin D. Yogurt can help keep your teeth pretty and healthy and help the damage done by other drinks and foods, like coffee. Many studies have shown that yogurt can make your T-cells stronger and more active, which means that it can strengthen your immune system.

What kind of yogurt is the best?

Many kinds of yogurt contain added sugars and artificial sweeteners you do not want, so keep an eye open on the sugar content in your yogurt. Greek yogurt is a preferred kind because it is lower in sugar and higher in protein. You should also consume yogurt with active or live cultures which improve the good bacteria in your gut.

Side effects of consuming yogurt

Probiotic foods have been consumed thoroughly thousands of years. These foods include fermented milk products, like yogurt, which are known for their health benefits in terms of enhancing good digestion. And in many years they have been consumed, there is little or no evidence to suggest differently.

In some rare cases, certain people may experience some very mild side effects like bloated stomach, diarrheas, acne and skin rash. But the doctors suggest that these side effects are just the way how our body reacts when probiotics are making an adjustment on our gut chemistry. In most cases, it is recommended that you should continue to consume probiotic foods, and then after a while when your system has adjusted, these side effects will vanish.