Yogurt - benefits and harm to the body

Is yogurt good for the human body? What is this product? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. Today, yoghurts are extremely popular. This is a fermented milk product, a close relative of kefir.

One person in Europe consumes on average from 10 to 40 kg of yogurt per year, in our country this value reaches barely 2 kg, which is also quite a lot. Yogurts are popular due to good advertising, which says that this product can significantly improve human health. Let us find out further whether yogurt is really good for humans.

Yogurt

So is yogurt good for humans? First of all, it is necessary to take into account that only homemade yogurt made from milk and a special starter culture that contains two or more live active bacteria has a beneficial effect on the body. Their concentration must be at least 10 million cells - only in this case the product will be beneficial.

These bacteria have a very short lifespan, so natural yogurt can last no more than a week at 7 °C. So think about it: what is the composition of store-bought yogurt if its shelf life reaches 30 days or even more?

How to make yogurt at home

You don’t have to buy this dairy treat at the store—you can make it in your own kitchen.

Natural fruit yogurt

For a healthy and healthy drinking product, you only need a few ingredients: low-fat milk, sourdough and some fruit, such as apples or pears.

How to cook:

1. The milk is boiled, then cooled to a moderate temperature.
2. A little starter is added to warm milk, then the container is tightly closed, wrapped in a towel and put in a shaded place for 6 hours.
3. The finished liquid product is seasoned with finely chopped fruits, and sugar is added to taste if desired.

The benefits of drinking yogurt will only increase from pieces of natural fruit. If desired, the product can be poured into a bottle and taken with you for a walk.

Greek yogurt

The recipe is very similar to the classic one, but has a number of differences:

1. Natural low-fat milk is boiled, cooled, and mixed with sourdough.
2. After this, the mixture is also closed and wrapped, but placed in a shaded place not for 6, but for 10 hours.
3. When the product has fermented properly, it is subjected to filtration: gauze, folded several times, is stretched over the pan, yogurt is poured onto it and placed in the refrigerator in this form for another 4 hours.
4. At the last stage, the product, almost all of the whey from which has been glassed into the pan, is transferred to the final container.

The main feature of Greek yogurt is its thickness and high saturation of nutrients.

Yogurt in a yogurt maker

You can prepare regular or sweet yoghurts at home in a special device - a yoghurt maker. The benefit of the device is that the yogurt maker maintains the ideal temperature - 38 - 40 degrees. There is no need to carefully wrap the fermented milk and look for a warm place for it.

The principle of preparing delicacies in a yogurt maker is simple. The milk is boiled in the same way, cooled and mixed with the starter, and then poured into the container of the machine. The yogurt maker is turned on, and then all that remains is to wait 8 - 10 hours until the product is completely ready.

We recommend reading: Goat milk: beneficial properties and contraindications

In a slow cooker

A universal multicooker will help you prepare yogurt for weight loss or just for fun. The prepared starter is poured into cups made of heat-resistant material, placed in a multicooker and water at a temperature of 38 - 40 degrees is poured into the container. The water level should remain below the edges of the cups.

The multicooker is turned on in heating mode for 15 minutes, then turned off completely for an hour and put back on heating for 15 minutes. Then they wait another hour and take the finished treat out of the machine. The good thing about this method is that the whole process takes only 2.5 hours.

In a thermos

A regular thermos will work well to maintain the desired temperature. The technology is simple: boiled milk with added starter is poured into a thermos, closed tightly and left for 5 - 9 hours, periodically opening the container and checking readiness.

Yogurt without starter

You can prepare the product without using a special starter from live bacteria. It will be successfully replaced by natural store-bought yogurt.

Cooking process:

1. The first stages of preparation remain the same - the milk is boiled, cooled, and then mixed with the purchased delicacy.
2. After this, the container is closed and wrapped. But they don’t just put it in a warm place, but in an oven preheated to 40 - 45 degrees for 4 hours. This is necessary for high-quality ripening.
3. When the product is ready, all that remains is to drain the liquid whey from it, cool it and put it in the refrigerator.

The benefits of yogurt

Many people ask, “Is yogurt good for you?” It is known that natural yogurt differs from kefir only in the presence of fruit and sugar in it. Its benefits are as follows:

1. It is rich in mineral components and vitamins, which make our bones strong and promote their full development, prevent the harmful effects of infections and have a general strengthening effect.
2. Strengthens the activity of the immune system. If you eat 300 g of yogurt every day, which contains active microflora, this will significantly strengthen the immune system and will prevent viral and colds. After a couple of months of systematically taking the product we are considering, you will find that you begin to get sick less.
3. Ensures gastrointestinal health. Daily consumption of yogurt has a positive effect on the condition of the stomach and intestines. It helps with metabolic disorders and diarrhea. Some types of yogurt preserve microflora and protect the gastrointestinal tract when taking antibiotics, which destroy beneficial bacteria in it and contribute to the emergence of new infections in the body. Moreover, yogurt contains calcium and lactobacilli. The first of them not only preserves the elasticity and integrity of our bones, but also supports the activity of the intestines and even prevents the activity of bacteria that provoke the appearance of oncological diseases of this organ. Lactobacilli provide beneficial intestinal microflora.
4. Helps in the treatment of thrush (vaginal candidiasis). Taking natural yogurt reduces the number of bacteria that contribute to the appearance of plaque on the mucous membrane.
5. Useful for people who are lactose intolerant. The lactic acid bacteria in yogurt perform the functions of digesting lactose. That is why it can be eaten by people whose bodies have too few enzymes to fully process milk.
6. Removes unnecessary cholesterol from the body. If you eat 100 g of yogurt a day, you can get rid of harmful cholesterol and increase the amount of good cholesterol in your blood. Thanks to this, the general condition of your body will improve.
7. Destroys pathogenic microorganisms. This is caused by the product's ability to synthesize lactate.

The benefits of yogurt for the body

The delicacy is not only tasty, but also has value in terms of beneficial properties. Let's look at exactly how it affects the body.

General

The main benefit lies in several properties. Yogurt:

• stimulates the proper functioning of the stomach and intestines;
• helps the body quickly cleanse itself of toxins and waste;
• regulates intestinal microflora;
• fights harmful microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract;
• indirectly helps improve immunity.

For women

Representatives of the fair sex are more prone to gastric disorders: against the background of stress, during menstruation, during pregnancy. The treat helps cope with ailments.

For men

For representatives of the stronger sex, the benefit of the delicacy is that it contains protein, which promotes muscle gain. This is especially valuable for athletes.

For whom is it effective?

Next we will talk about the projects “Are all yoghurts healthy?”, and now we will find out for whom the product we are considering is effective. It is known that the healing qualities of yogurt are similar to those of kefir. This product is indicated for:

• those suffering from dysbacteriosis;
• old people;
• improving the condition of the heart and blood vessels;
• treatment and prevention of enteritis and colitis;
• prevention of osteoporosis;
• strengthening the central nervous system, preventing depression and improving mood (thanks to phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B5, iron);
• prevention and treatment of diseases characterized by decreased activity of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland;
• activation of brain function;
• weight normalization;
• balancing women's hormonal levels;
• cleansing the body after poisoning and blocking carcinogens.

Harm of yogurt. Preservatives

The answer to the question “Are drinking yoghurts healthy?” obvious. Yes, they are useful. Can they harm the human body? All the previously listed qualities apply only to natural yogurt. However, today stores sell yoghurts with a shelf life of about a month (as we discussed earlier), which means that such a product, at best, will be useless, and at worst, harmful.

Almost all yoghurts contain the preservative E1442. It is needed in order to increase the shelf life of the product. At the same time, this substance eliminates all the beneficial qualities of the components of yogurt, which could truly have a positive effect on the body. Many practicing doctors claim that E1442 (hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate) provokes the development of pancreatic necrosis.

E1442 is a large molecule found in corn starch, which is part of genetically modified corn and gradually destroys the pancreas, reduces its activity and contributes to the appearance of serious illnesses.

Benefits of yogurt for skin

Yogurt is widely used in home cosmetology. Yogurt-based masks nourish and smooth out fine wrinkles. Yogurt is used for sunburn, as it promotes skin tissue regeneration. Hair masks nourish the scalp and improve hair condition.

Although yogurt has a long history, it appeared in our stores no more than 20 years ago. Today, using special starter cultures, it is not difficult to prepare yogurt at home. In the kitchen, it can replace cream, sour cream and become the basis for sauce. And if you want to lose weight with yogurt, then it is not only simple, but also delicious!

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Harmful effects of sugar in yogurt

Homemade yogurt contains only 6 g of sugar per 150 g of product, while store-bought yogurt contains 5-6 times more. Yogurt manufacturers add sugar in such large quantities in order to increase the popularity of their products and make them more attractive than kefir, sourdough or cottage cheese.

As a result, people eat a tasty product in huge quantities, and this is fraught with obesity, damage to the teeth and oral cavity, and edema. Such products are dangerous especially for diabetics. Sugar also promotes calcium leaching.

It should also be noted that different types of yogurt differ from each other not in the content of different fruits and juices, but in flavorings that are harmful to human health. In many commercial yogurts you can find sodium citrate (E331), which increases stomach acidity.

Homemade yogurt from milk

Homemade yogurt is considered the most delicious and healthy. It is prepared according to proven recipes, which will be included below.

Homemade yogurt is prepared in different ways. Most often, yogurt makers or multicookers are used for these purposes.

Homemade yogurt: recipe in a slow cooker

Many people are interested in how to make homemade yogurt in a slow cooker. There's really nothing complicated about it. You just need to perform a series of sequential actions:

1. It is necessary to boil the milk and then cool it to 40 degrees.
2. Sourdough is added to the milk (3 tablespoons per 1 liter of product).
3. The mixture must be mixed and poured into special jars.
4. Next, the containers with yogurt are sent to the multicooker and the “Yoghurt” mode is set.

It is best to read about other features of preparing a product in a particular multicooker in its instructions or the cookbook that came with it. The cooking process takes on average 4-6 hours.

How to make homemade yogurt in a yogurt maker

It is much easier to make homemade yogurt with your own hands in a yogurt maker. The cooking process is similar to the recipe above. The ingredients are mixed and poured into containers. Afterwards the product is placed in the device and the mode is set. After 8-10 hours, the yogurt will be ready.

Fruit yogurt recipe

Fruits and berries help improve the taste of fermented milk products. To do this, you need to prepare the yogurt itself at home according to one of the recipes above. After this process is completed, it is mixed with pieces of fruit and sent to the refrigerator to cool.

Fruit and yogurt

Fruits cannot exist together with lactic acid bacteria. Then what are these components contained in yogurt? Pieces of peach, strawberry, kiwi and other fruits are added to it, frozen or canned.

Very often, flavored extracts enriched with citric acid or sugar are added to yoghurt, which remain after making marmalade or jelly. Such pieces are sterilized in a rather unusual way, by irradiating them with radiation.

Fermentation

Yogurt can also ferment. When the shelf life of a product expires, yeast, mold fungi, and putrefactive bacteria appear in it. Microbes begin to multiply, which contributes to the release of carbon dioxide. As a result, the packaging swells.

The human immune system destroys most of these bacteria. The same microorganisms that were able to overcome the attack of the immune system provoke the appearance of diarrhea and gas. It is these signs that indicate the entry of toxins and harmful microbes into the body.

When should you not drink natural yogurt?

Is homemade yogurt healthy? Doctors do not recommend using it for:

• flatulence (increases the creation of gases);
• gastritis associated with high stomach acidity;
• weak kidneys (may induce renal failure);
• diarrhea (has a laxative effect);
• ulcers of the stomach and duodenum;
• babies under 1 year of age (irritates the stomach of a fragile body).

As you can see, the benefits and harms of yogurt are a rather controversial issue. It is safe to say that there is an alternative replacement for this product that has a much better effect on the body, for example, kefir.

Store-bought yogurts are just a marketing ploy and deception on the part of manufacturers who want to make money at the lowest cost. They don't care about your health! If you still want to treat yourself to yogurt, make it yourself. After all, this way you will know that there are no harmful chemical additives in its composition.

Health benefits of yogurt

The benefits and harms of yogurt depend on its composition. We managed to make it out above. Now it’s time to move on to the beneficial properties of fermented milk product.

The identified health benefits of yogurt include the following:

• Normalization of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Improving intestinal motility.
• Burning excess fat deposits.
• Strengthening bones and joints.
• Prevention of ulcer formation.
• Strengthening the immune system.
• Elimination of unpleasant odor from the oral cavity.
• Prevention of premature tissue aging.
• Prevention of heart disease.
• Elimination of signs of thrush.
• Removing harmful compounds from the body.
• Increased brain activity.

Interesting to know! Yogurts help fight depression, as it has been scientifically proven that due to intestinal problems, people can experience these psychological disorders. The product solves this problem.

The benefit of yogurt also lies in saturating the body with calcium, which is necessary for healthy bones and teeth.

Chemical composition and nutritional value

It is known that the calorie content of yogurt is 68 kcal. It contains:

• 3.2 g fat;
• 5 g proteins;
• 86.3 g water;
• 3.5 g carbohydrates;
• 0.7 g ash;
• 1.3 g organic acids.

This product also contains the following vitamins:

• 0.2 mg riboflavin (vitamin B2);
• 22 mcg vitamin A (VE);
• 0.31 mg vitamin B5;
• 0.05 mg vitamin B6;
• 0.02 mg retinol;
• 1.4 mg vitamin PP;
• 0.6 mg vitamin C;
• 40 mg vitamin B4;
• 0.04 mg vitamin B1;
• 0.2 mg niacin;
• 0.43 mcg vitamin B12;
• 0.01 mg beta-carotene.

It also contains the following macroelements:

• magnesium – 15 mg;
• potassium – 147 mg;
• phosphorus – 96 mg;
• calcium – 122 mg;
• chlorine – 100 mg;
• sodium – 52 mg;
• sulfur – 27 mg.

Yogurt also contains the following microelements:

• 10 mcg copper;
• 0.1 mg iron;
• 5 mcg molybdenum;
• 2 mcg selenium;
• 9 mcg iodine;
• 0.4 mg zinc;
• 1 mcg cobalt;
• 2 mcg chromium;
• 20 mcg fluoride;
• 0.006 mg manganese.

Projects

It is known that Russian schools have been implementing the “Talk about Proper Nutrition” program since 1999. This unique educational project was developed at the Institute of Developmental Physiology of the Academy of Education of the Russian Federation on the initiative and with the support of Nestlé Russia.

Today, 48 regions of the Russian Federation and more than 850 thousand schoolchildren and preschoolers participate in the project every year. They willingly conduct master classes and classes where they talk about healthy food, and take part in various competitions. It is known that every research work “Are all yoghurts healthy?” carried out within the framework of this program is excellent. Children use testing methods:

1. Practical – observation, questioning, experiment.
2. Theoretical – comparative data analysis.

In the process of exploration, kids discover many interesting facts about yogurt. Thus, many of them already know that the most important condition for ripening is the participation of living microorganisms from the lactobacilli family (Streptococcus thermophilus and Bulgarian bacillus).

Few of you know whether Activia yogurt is healthy. But the kids found out that Activia is a low-calorie product and the benefits from it are the same as from kefir. But since it contains different flavoring additives, they believe that it is better to use kefir, which can be combined with berries or dried fruits.

Surely you don’t know the answer to the question “Is Miracle yogurt healthy?” And the kids conducted research and determined that this product contains a huge amount of stabilizers.

Yogurt - tasty and healthy

— Viktor Aleksandrovich, how exactly do foreign yoghurts differ from our curdled milk?

- First of all, the method of preparation, different “sourdough”. And the ancestor of yoghurts is indeed Mechnikov’s yogurt . This product was discovered by our domestic scientist I. I. Mechnikov at the beginning of the 20th century. He dreamed of using it to preserve a person’s youth.

In terms of their composition, current yoghurts are closer to fermented baked milk or Varents than to ordinary yogurt.

In addition, at home it is not always prepared sterilely, and yoghurts are a pure product. Their nutritional value is very high, because they contain:

• milk proteins and fats
• calcium
• carbohydrates
• a number of vitamins

And they, like Mechnikov’s curdled milk, contain special living microorganisms . Therefore, they are better absorbed and useful to everyone as a therapeutic food.

— By the way, about treatment. Which yogurts are especially useful and for which diseases?

— Since yogurt is a fermented milk product, it does not contain milk sugar - lactose . It is healthier than fresh milk, and people with heart disease or hypertension can safely use yoghurt instead.

They are also good for the intestines. Because of the “living” cells, they reach the lowest layers of the digestive tract, cleaning it .

For all intestinal disorders, yogurt will be very useful for you.

Yogurt is healthier than fresh milk