London: Yogurt contains power-boosting protein and bone-building calcium. It can also help one lose weight and fend off a cold. Compiled from Fitness Magazine, here’s the scoop on the benefits of yogurt. Whether you opt for greek yogurt, organic, or soy you’ll start seeing results instantly. Yogurt acts as an antidote while you are using antibiotics:
You must keep in mind that whenever you are using antibiotics; yogurt becomes one of the most important foods in your diet. Although antibiotics destroy disease-causing bacteria while you are sick, they also cause benign bacteria to die. If you want to avoid the side effects of antibiotics you should not forget to consume yogurt.
Reasons Why You Should Eat Yogurt Daily
It can give you flat abs:
Eat 18 ounces a day and you can drop a jeans size. People who ate that much in conjunction with cutting their total calories lost 22% more weight and 81% more belly fat than dieters who skipped the snack, according to research from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. They also retained one-third more calorie-torching lean muscle mass, which can help you maintain weight loss.
“Fat around your waist produces the hormone cortisol, which tells your body to accumulate even more belly flab,” says nutrition professor and lead study author Michael Zemel. When you eat yogurt, the calcium signals your fat cells to pump out less cortisol, making it easier for you to drop pounds, while the amino acids help burn fat.
Most brands contain good-for-you bacteria:
The words “live and active cultures” on the container mean that your yogurt has probiotics, beneficial bugs that live in your digestive tract, and help crowd out harmful microorganisms that can cause intestinal infections. But many varieties now also contain special strains of probiotics meant to help regulate your digestion or strengthen your immune system.
It is loaded with vitamins:
One serving is a significant source of potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, iodine, zinc, and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). Yogurt also contains B12, which maintains red blood cells and helps keep your nervous system functioning properly. Eating more yogurt can help close the nutrient gap: An eight-ounce serving contains 1.4 micrograms of the vitamin, about 60% of what adult women need daily.
It may prevent high blood pressure:
Every day 70% of us consume more than twice the recommended amount of salt; over time that can lead to hypertension and kidney and heart disease. The potassium in yogurt, almost 600 milligrams per eight ounces, may help flush some of the excess sodium out of your body, reducing chances of high blood pressure as well.
It can help your smile:
Despite its sugar content, yogurt doesn’t cause cavities. When scientists at Marmara University in Turkey tested low-fat, light, and fruit flavors, they found that none of them eroded tooth enamel, the main cause of decay. The lactic acid in yogurt appears to give your gums protection as well. People who eat at least two ounces a day have a 60% lower risk of acquiring severe periodontal disease than those who skip it.
Raw doesn’t mean better:
Virtually all the yogurt in your grocery store has been pasteurized — that is, exposed to high temperatures to kill any harmful pathogens. Raw dairy fans claim that unpasteurized milk, yogurt, and cheese are better for you because they contain more health-boosting bacteria, but pasteurization doesn’t destroy beneficial probiotics, Newgent explains. Plus, studies show that those who eat raw yogurt don’t have stronger immune or digestive systems than people who stick to the pasteurized stuff. And raw-dairy products carry a risk of food poisoning.
Yogurt is a high-protein food:
Yogurt can be an excellent source of protein, but “one variety may contain more than double the protein of another,” Blatner says. Greek yogurt, which is strained to make it thicker, has up to 20 grams of protein per container; traditional yogurt may have as few as five grams. If you’re eating it for protein, look for brands that provide at least eight to 10 grams per serving.
