Probiotic Bacteria Is Your Friend
You might think bacteria in your food is a bad thingand it in some cases it can be . But in live-culture yogurt, beneficial bacteria can help keep your gut healthy, say nutrition researchersand these so-called probiotics may even help you lose weight.
Even though probiotics are a huge buzzword lately, were really only starting to learn about how they work in our bodies, says registered dietitian Karen Ansel, a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The most important thing to know is that they are strain-specificmeaning, while one type may help with immunity, another might be better for gut health.
Yogurt is a great source of probiotics because it is made by fermenting milk with these live bacteria. But not all probiotic yogurt is the same.
Is Greek Yogurt Good For You
In a nutshell yes, greek yogurt is good for you. This is because it boasts many benefits for your body, brain and overall health.
It provides an excellent source of protein and high fibre carbohydrates, says Mina Khan, founder of nutraceutical company Formulate Health, who has been providing nutritional advice for over 25 years. It contains a great mix of vital minerals and vitamins, such as potassium, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12.
Foods with calcium and high protein content are good for maintaining muscle mass and improving bone health. This can help to reduce the risk of developing degenerative bone diseases like Osteoporosis. Protein is additionally important for your immune system and nerves, and is a key provider of energy.
Greek yoghurt is a great source of protein for vegetarians because it also contains the vitamin B12. Naturally occurring in animal products, vitamin B12 is essential for red blood cell formation and good brain function. A typical serving of greek yoghurt contributes to just over 20 percent of your recommended daily B12 intake.
Its also packed full of probiotics which helps aid digestion and keep our bowels healthy, adds Mina. It has also been shown to reduce gas, bloating, constipation and other common problems with the gut, so if you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome Id definitely recommend trying to incorporate greek yogurt into your diet.
Limited Number Of Probiotic Strains
The human gut contains over 500 strains and our body thrives on having a diverse range of beneficial bacteria colonizing our microbiome.
But, take a look at most yogurts and you’ll be lucky to find more than two or three varieties.
Contrast that with a quality probiotic supplement that is formulated to provide you with an array of probiotic strains in optimum amounts to support a healthy gut.
The human gut contains over 500 beneficial bacterial strains and this diversity is what your body thrives on.
What’s more, research tells us that multiple probiotic strains are more effective at promoting digestive health due to the symbiotic relationships between strains. It seems probiotics work better as a team.
Don’t get me wrong, yogurt is a great place to start. However, due to the random selection of bacterial strains yogurt is not the best choice to address targeted health goals.
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Good Source Of Protein And Other Nutrients
One of the main benefits of Greek yogurt is that its rich in protein, a macronutrient needed for virtually all chemical reactions in the body, healthy immune function, tissue repair, and more .
Protein needs vary, but a protein intake of 0.540.9 grams per pound of body weight is likely optimal for physically active people .
A 7-ounce serving of Greek yogurt provides 20 grams of protein, which makes it a high protein food.
In addition to protein, Greek yogurt is rich in essential vitamins and minerals including B12, selenium, and zinc all of which play important roles in supporting your health.
For example, both zinc and selenium are required for optimal immune function, while B12 is needed for red blood cell formation, nervous system function, and energy production .
Siggis Skyr Icelandic Vanilla Yogurt
Siggis is a trustworthy yogurt brand headquartered in Iceland. I like that the texture is thicker than regular Greek yogurt, and the slight sour natural taste. Siggis yogurt is made of whole milk and a dash of cream, which gives I think gives it a richer taste.
There are up to five live active bacteria cultures that may help with digestive health. Also, it is low in sugar and high in protein, which recommends it as a nutritious, filling breakfast food or snack. The yogurt is 100% natural, does not contain any GMOs, artificial sweeteners, or even preservatives.
It has the following 5 probiotic strains: S. thermophilus, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium, L. acidophilus, L. paracasei.
Amount Per Serving:
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The 15 Best Probiotic Yogurt Brands For Better Gut Health
While we may not think of bacteria as being healthy for our bodies, probiotics are essential in a balanced diet.
And though there are plenty of ways to include probiotics in our meals, yogurt is probably the easiest way. In addition to being good for you, probiotic yogurt is delicious and is an ideal breakfast to eat on the go.
Which Yoghurt Is Best For Weight Loss
If you stick to our best yogurts for weight loss, the stubborn pounds and belly fat are sure to melt away.
- Chobani Less Sugar Greek Yogurt, Wild Blueberry. …
- Dannon Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt Plain. …
- Brown Cow Cream Top Whole Milk Yogurt. …
- Yoplait Original, French Vanilla. …
- Wallaby Organic Whole Milk Kefir, Plain.
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What Is The Best Probiotic Drink
Here, the best probiotic drinks:
- Best Overall: GT’s Organic Kombucha Gingerade. …
- Best Budget: KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drink. …
- Best Dairy-Free: Califia Farms Strawberry Probiotic Drinkable Yogurt. …
- Best Drinkable Yogurt: Siggi’s Swedish Style Non-Fat Drinkable Yogurt. …
- Best Kefir: LifeWay Organic Low Fat Kefir.
What To Look For When Buying Yogurt
If youâre eating yogurt mainly for the probiotic benefits, make sure to look for The National Yogurt Associationâs Live & Active Cultures seal on packaging: It means that when manufactured, the yogurt contained at least 100 million active starter cultures per gram. Most yogurt brands in the United States contain probiotics, but the organisms must be added after heat processing, so check the label to be sure. If it states âlive and active cultures,â then the yogurt has probiotics.
Other important factors to consider are the amount of protein and sugar included. When it comes to protein, aim for a minimum of six grams of protein in non-dairy yogurt alternatives and at least 10 grams in regular dairy yogurt. More or less is okay but yogurt can be a great source of protein so itâs helpful to pack it in when you can. Also be sure to read the nutrition facts panels for sugar content. Many of the flavored types can get out of hand when it comes to sugar cane, juices, and high-fructose corn syrup additions. There are many delicious yogurt options on the market with 15 grams of sugar or less.
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How Much Probiotic Yogurts Are Beneficial For Immunity System
Besides all of this, there are a number of benefits of probiotic yogurt. Firstly as all of us have heard that it makes bones stronger. Yogurt is very essential for sturdier bones. Best Yogurt maker in 2020 contains and is able to provide with a lot of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin D.
This is why it is recommended to make children and teenagers drink milk as it is their time for healthy growth. Calcium is utterly needed for dental health. It helps with Anti-Aging as aging is associated with nutritional deficiencies so the yogurt can contribute by providing the body with a lot of calcium, zinc, B vitamins, and probiotics making yogurt a good source of protein.
Prevents Yeast and Vaginal Infections, yogurt is a safe and reliable food as it contains nothing that is likely to harm the human body. It contains Lactobacillus bacteria that are an effective remedy for the yeast infection since it helps kill the yeast cells. Many studies and experiments have shown that yogurt is the best herbal remedy for yeast and vaginal infection.
Greek Yogurts Live Cultures
According to the National Yogurt Association’s official website, AboutYogurt.com, the Food and Drug Administration requires that all yogurt products be made with active cultures. However, even when yogurts are labeled with the term live cultures, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they have enough live cultures to benefit your health.
Many commercial yogurts are heat-treated. This removes their beneficial bacterial cultures, or reduces their amounts. Frozen yogurts may or may not have probiotics it depends on whether they’ve been made with heat-treated yogurt.
If the Greek yogurt you’ve selected has the Live and Active Cultures seal from the National Yogurt Association, the yogurt you’re purchasing should still contain enough probiotics to benefit your health. You can also purchase any type of yogurt and add probiotics if you’re in doubt or make your own yogurt at home.
Greek yogurt can improve the health of your gastrointestinal microbiome regardless of whether it’s a standard cultured yogurt or a probiotic yogurt. However, you’ll probably reap the most health benefits from Greek yogurt with probiotics.
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Dannon Light & Fit Greek Nonfat Yogurt Zero Artificial Sweeteners Plain
There are plenty of options that have the same number of calories, sugar, and protein, but if you’re looking for a yogurt that’s lower in calories than the Oikos Triple Zero option and has a bit more natural sweeteners , this is a solid option. Not to mention, Dannon Light & Fit Greek Nonfat Yogurt only contains two ingredientscultured nonfat milk and gut-healthy active cultures including L. Bulgaricus and S. Thermophilus, which is one of the reasons Mackenzie Burgess, RDN, registered dietitian and recipe developer at Cheerful Choices, loves this one so much. “It’s the perfect protein-packed ingredient to spoon over both sweet and savory dishes. Try prepping make ahead yogurt parfaits in mason jars filled with peanut butter, fresh fruit, and homemade granola for a healthy, grab-and-go breakfast,” says Burgess.
What Are Probiotics And How Do They Help With Your Gut Health
Think of probiotics as good bacteria for gut health. Probiotics regulate the digestive system, increase your bodys ability to absorb vitamins, and may even help with weight loss.
Explains Dr. Sy Powell, Physician and Health Coach, Eating yogurt helps replenish our bacteria with gut friendly helpful bacteria, also called probiotics. Research shows that people who consume high doses of yogurt might benefit and have less GI disturbances. Specific strains of bifidobacteria lactis and lactobacillus acidophilus support the gut microbiome, and result in decreased constipation and bloating, decreased inflammation, and less risk for type 2 diabetes.”
When a yogurt is probiotic, it that means it’s made from milk fermented by that good bacteria, usually lactic acid bacteria or bifidobacteria.
Fermentation happens when bacteria, yeasts and other microorganisms chemically change a food substance. For example, ethyl alcohol found in our beers, wines and liquors is made by fermenting the sugars found in barley, grapes and rice,” Dr. Powell continues. “We call the intestinal bacteria our gut microbiome. It is made of trillions of different bacterias, viruses, and yeasts that work for us to help break down our food. They also help to absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat.”
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Now, since not all yogurts are created equally, its normal to wonder: Do all yogurts have probiotics? Well, not necessarily.
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How Do You Know If Yogurt Is Probiotic
There are a few tell-tale signs.
In the USA and Canada its easy to spot. Yogurt manufacturers can display the term ‘probiotic’ or ‘Live’ on their packaging.
In UK or Europe its not so easy.
Under EU regulations yogurt manufactures are banned from using the term ‘probiotic’.
Instead, you’ll find probiotic yogurts called ‘Bio-Live’ or containing ‘Live Cultures’.
Brown Cow Plain Cream Top Yogurt
Brown Cows Original Cream Top Yogurt is rich and satisfying because they use only whole milk. This yogurt is sweetened with cane sugar and maple syrup, and is made without the use of artificial growth hormones, artificial flavors or artificial sweeteners.
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Which Greek Yogurt Brands Are Healthy
Jasmine Carbon, a registered dietitian and founder of Carbon Nutrition, told GoodToKnow that both the brand and the ingredients are important factors to consider when choosing a healthy yogurt.
Whether its Yeo Valley, FAGE, Dannon or supermarket-own-brand, there are marginal differences between various brands of greek yogurt. Taking note of the fat and added sugar content is important, she says.
For example, flavoured greek style yogurts will have added sugars and this will increase its calorie content. Greek yogurts are available in varying levels of fat content: low fat, no fat 5% fat and so on. Choose the yogurt which best suits your health goals and taste preferences.
As well as Yeo Valley, FAGE and Dannon, Rachels Organic is another brand known for their healthy greek style natural yogurt. Their Rachels Organic Greek Style Natural Fat Free yogurt satisfies taste buds and features a lower sugar content.
Why Is Yogurt Good For You
YogurtsyogurtWhile this list is by no means exhaustive, here are a few types of yogurt that are healthy choices.
- Stonyfield Organic. Stonyfield Organic is a good brand to choose if you like to buy organic.
- Dannon All Natural. Dannon’s All Natural line of yogurts is a good example of healthy yogurt.
- Fage Total Plain.
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What Yogurt Has The Most Live Cultures
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- Yoplait Light.
Subsequently, one may also ask, which yogurt has the best probiotics?
Some brands of yogurt contain Lactobacillus acidophilus and other beneficial probiotics. There are many different strains of probiotic, each with unique health benefits. L.These brands include the following:
Beside above, which yogurt brands have the live and active cultures seal? Live & Active Culture Seal Program Participants
- Activia.
- Cold Stone Creamery Lowfat Frozen Yogurt.
- Chobani.
- Dannon.
Regarding this, does all yogurt have live cultures?
The Live& Active Culture seal to all yogurt manufacturers whose products, both refrigerated or frozen, contain a significant level of live and active cultures. All yogurts are required to be made with these two cultures. In addition, some yogurts contain Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidus and other cultures.
Which brand of yogurt is the healthiest?
While this list is by no means exhaustive, here are a few types of yogurt that are healthy choices.
- Stonyfield Organic. Stonyfield Organic is a good brand to choose if you like to buy organic.
- Dannon All Natural. Dannon’s All Natural line of yogurts is a good example of healthy yogurt.
- Fage Total Plain.
Nutritional Profile Of Greek Yogurt
100g of plain Greek yogurt, which is about 5½ tablespoons, contains 133 calories, almost 6g of protein and 10g of fat which is both saturated and unsaturated fat. It also contains about 5g of carbohydrates which is largely lactose .
Greek yogurt is a good source of calcium which is needed for healthy bones and teeth as well as muscle contractions, and it contains a good array of B vitamins which we need for energy. Greek yogurt also contains iodine which helps support thyroid health and metabolic rate and also helps keep our cells healthy.
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Stonyfield Farm Organic Probiotic Yogurt
Stonyfield Farm organic probiotic yogurt is made with pasture-raised cow milk, it is kosher certified and gluten-free. It contains up to six live active probiotic cultures. It has a balanced taste, not too sour, and a thick, rich, and creamy texture. Stonyfield also offers dairy-free options, such as soy-based yogurts.
In my opinion the neutral taste is ideal if you want to add it to numerous recipes, including as a healthy, protein-packed alternative to mayonnaise. For me it’s a great addition to smoothies, fruits, salads, or even added to soups for a thicker, creamier taste. As a result, Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt can be a highly versatile base product that enriches your regular meals with probiotics.
It has the following 6 probiotic strains: S. Thermophilus, L. Acidophilus, L. Bulgaricus, Bifidus, L. Rhamnosus, L. Paracasei.
Amount Per Serving:
What Is The Best Low Fat Greek Yogurt
Mina Khan makes a case for FAGE whose low fat product also contains less sugar.
The best low fat greek yogurt option is one thats also low in sugar. A typical adult should limit their sugar intake to no more than approximately 30g a day, and as youll see, brands such as FAGEs fat free greek yogurt contains just 3g of sugar per serving making this a great choice for those wanting to watch their weight.
We also found French brand Danone offered one of the best low fat greek yogurts on the market. Danones Light and Free Passion Fruit Yogurt boasts a low calorie, low fat and low salt content. Its also handily sold as a four-pack giving you a daily optimum serving size.
- Cal: 52 kCal per 115g serving
- Fat: 0.1g
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Best Low Sugar Yogurt
If youre not a fan of Greek or plain yogurt, there are a few brands of fruit flavored yogurt that arent too high in sugar, even though most of them contain added sugar and/or artificial sweeteners.
Depending on how clean you like to eat, some might include artificial sweeteners, so always be looking at labels when choosing a low sugar yogurt.
While I personally stay away from fruit-flavored yogurts and artificial sweeteners, there are a few brands of yogurt that are better than others.
So if you absolutely must have a fruit flavored yogurt, here are a few that you may want to check out:
- Siggis vanilla flavored yogurt
- Two Good Yogurt by Dannon Light & Fit .
At last resort, this would be something to eat on occasion:
- Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt while these do have Sucralose in them, they are an option for a low-sugar yogurt if youre fine consuming artificial sweeteners and a little bit of added sugar.
At the end of the day, youre not required to eat yogurt as your main source of probiotics.
If youre not a fan of the other food items on the probiotic list, then consider a probiotic supplement.
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