Why Do You Need Probiotics Anyway
First, a quick recap! Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that include both good and bad microorganisms.
The good bacteria play important roles in maintaining your overall health. Theyre involved in digestion, immune system function, hormone production, and much more.
Supporting your gastrointestinal environment by introducing good bacteria into your digestive system will help to keep these bacteria in good shape, which means they can do their job properly. One of the best ways to do this is by consuming probiotic bacteria.
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.
Healthy Fats And Protein In Keto Yogurt
Yogurt provides a satiating combination of healthy keto fats and proteins that have been shown to reduce appetite and boost fullness, helping people eat less often and lose more weight. 45
Other clinical studies link yogurt to reductions in body weight, body fat, and weight gain.6
These properties also make Greek yogurt a good option for people on intermittent fasting plans, and when combining intermittent fasting and keto.
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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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Do I Have To Bring The Temp To 180 F If Im Using Pasteurized Milk
Virtually every yogurt-making recipe will tell you to heat the milk to 180 degrees F before bringing it back down to 110 degrees F to inoculate it with a starter culture. The question you may ask yourself is, if Im using pasteurized milk already do I need to heat it to 180 degrees or can I just skip that step?
Heres what Ive learned: Heating it to 180 degrees isnt for the purpose of killing unwanted bacteria as much as it is for creating a thick texture. The heat changes the structure of the proteins in the milk and enables it to thicken into yogurt. I wanted to test that for myself and heated the milk to just a little over 110 degrees, added the starter culture, and proceeded from there. It hardly thickened at all. But when I heat it to 180 degrees, then let it cool to 110 degrees before adding the starter, it thickens up beautifully.
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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 youre looking for a yogurt thats 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. Its 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.
The Benefits Of Eating Yoghurt
A cursory look down any supermarket dairy aisle will tell you just how big the yoghurt market has become there are flavoured varieties, fat-free varieties and even varieties that promise to reduce bloating.
Despite all the confusion, yoghurt is an important and healthy food to eat if it includes as little ingredients as possible. This is because part of it is made with live bacteria that helps our stomach digest carbohydrates easier.
Yoghurt is known as a probiotic, because it contains microorganisms. These living bacteria can aid in digestion and help build the numbers of healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tracts, says Mills.
In addition, yoghurt is low in salt and is wonderful for people trying to maintain or lose weight because it often keeps you feeling full, preventing the likelihood of reaching for high salty, fatty and sugary snacks.
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Lactose Intolerance And Heart Health
The health benefits of yogurt might be missed by people that are lactose intolerant and avoid dairy products. Fortunately, yogurt contains lower amounts of lactose than milk because the lactose in yogurt is converted to lactic acid by the bacterial cultures. The lactic acid bacteria in yogurt and fermented dairy foods such as kefir can help minimize the effects of lactose intolerance. That means many people who are lactose intolerant can still enjoy yogurt and other fermented dairy products.Similarly, yogurt and other low-fat and fat-free dairy products can be included as part of the DASH diet. The diet, which is designed to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, includes three servings a day of low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese. It has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
What Are The Benefits Of Eating Greek Yogurts
- Vitamins, minerals, and probiotics in Greek Yogurt are very effective in treating health issues.
- Potassium helps maintain your blood pressure and works against sodium.
- It also maintains your heart rate regularly and helping your muscles contract.
- Greek Yogurt also offers excellent levels of vitamin B12 that help prevent anemia and keeps your blood cells & tissues healthy.
- Apart from keeping your heart healthy, it can improve your mobility and your muscles to stay healthy.
- Greek Yogurt contains a good amount of iodine which supports thyroid function and strengthens the immune system.
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What Will Your Choice Be
Did you make up your mind yet? Will you stick with the old-school yogurt or venture to the unknown and try out the Icelandic or Swiss variants? Its also totally fine if you havent decided yet. Take your time theres no need to rush here.
Leave a comment to let me know what you think about the above yogurt types! While youre at it, please also like and share this article with your loved ones. After all, everyone can benefit from a bowl of delicious, heartful yogurt!
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What To Look For When Shopping For Greek Yogurt
When shopping for Greek yogurt, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Most yogurts on the market are flavored and sweetened, and they can contain a significant amount of added sugar.
For example, some flavored, sweetened varieties can contain upwards of 16 grams of added sugar per serving. Thats about 4 teaspoons of added sugar.
While you dont have to avoid sugar at all costs for optimal health, its important to limit your intake of added sugar.
Thats because consuming too much added sugar can contribute to health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, depression, and obesity (
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How To Choose The Best Probiotic Yogurt
Overwhelmed in the yogurt aisle? There are two main things to look for on a label. First, make sure it says contains live and active cultures,saysDana Eshelman, R.D.N., dietitian and founder of A Dash of Dana Nutrition Coaching. Then, pay attention to the sugar contentsome yogurts can contain more sugar than a bowl of ice cream!
The bad bacteria in your gut thrive on sugar, Eshelman explains. So, going overboard on sugar can cause the bad bacteria to outnumber the good, leading to inflammation and even chronic disease. Sure, the probiotics help, but why make it work harder? Experts agree that not all yogurts are good probiotic sources, so weve gathered the ones you can count on to keep your gut healthy .
This coconut-based yogurt which contains 50 billion probiotics in each serving. Theres also a dash of Himalayan salt and cassava root in each cup which balances out its flavor and creamy texture.
Nutrition serving:140 calories, 11 g fat , 65 mg sodium, 9 g carbs , 2 g protein
Live And Active Cultures In Yogurt
Probiotics are living microorganisms that help stop bad or undesirable bacteria from overgrowing in the gut. They may help fight diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and colon diseases.
If youre buying yogurt for its health benefits, no matter what its base ingredient, the key to making the right choice is being sure it contains live and active cultures. The label on the container will tell you what probiotics are in the yogurt. Some yogurts carry the National Yogurt Associations Live and Active Culture seal, but if that label is not on the container, look at the ingredient panel.
Yogurt is a healthy addition to the diet because it contains calcium, protein, and active cultures, said Lori Rosenthal, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian in the department of surgery at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. “But its not a major cure-all for GI disorders because it just doesnt have enough cultures to fight serious problems.
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Greek Yogurt Nutrition: Good Or Bad
There are many under-appreciated foods that can literally turn around our health. Sauerkraut and kimchi come to mind. Equally, there are over-appreciated, overhyped foods that most people believe are good for them. For example, the virtues of whole grains are continually publicized even though many people would be healthier without them.
Where does Greek yogurt fall?
Around the world, dairy is mostly recognized as an important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. And yogurt is usually the most acclaimed dairy product of all especially Greek yogurt, which has become more popular than ever over the past decade or so. Thats because of its thick, creamy texture plus being known to provide hard-to-get calcium in addition to high amounts of protein and several other nutrients, like B vitamins.
On the other hand, dairy products, including Greek yogurt, arent always all theyre cracked up to be. In general, dairy can be confusing because dairy products are naturally high in saturated fat, which is typically portrayed as harmful and tied to high cholesterol levels. In fact, trusted organizations like the American Heart Association have recommend people eat mostly nonfat or low-fat dairy products, including yogurt, for decades.
So whats the verdict when all is said and done is Greek yogurt healthy or not?
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 youll 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.
Whats 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.
Dont 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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Greek Yogurt Lower In Carbs And Sugar
The whey is where the carbs and the lactose are found in regular yogurt. Straining about half the whey out is what produces, voilà, Greek yogurt. Not so complicated, is it?
Why not strain the entire amount of whey out to remove all the sugar? Well, that approach doesnt quite work. Removing all of the whey from regular yogurt makes yogurt cheese. While delicious and creamy, it is too firm and not sweet enough to pass as yogurt.
Look at strained Greek yogurt as kind of like the halfway point between regular yogurt and yogurt cheese.
Because most of the whey is removed, strained yogurt is much lower in carbs and sugar than regular yogurt. For those following a low carb diet for weight loss, this is a helpful thing.
The one exception to this is 24-hour yogurt , which ferments enough of the lactose where it is virtually equal in carbs to Greek style.
Best Yogurt Drink Danone Danactive
- Per serving : 80 calories, 1.5 g fat , 50 mg sodium, 13 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 3 g protein
- Probiotic strain: Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001
- Studied benefits: decrease the frequency and length of the common cold
This is actually a yogurt drink, which makes it easy to take with you when youre on the move. It contains 10 billion active probiotic cultures in every bottle, and is a source of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin A.
The drink comes in 7 flavours, including strawberry, vanilla, and mixed berry.
The only downside is that it does have a fairly high amount of sugar, with 10 grams per bottle, with sugar listed as the third ingredient on the label.
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How Much Protein Is In A Cup Of Low Fat Yogurt
Low-Fat Yogurt. With about 10 grams of protein per 8-ounce cup, low-fat yogurt provides less than half the protein of Greek yogurt. And what low-fat yogurt lacks in fat it provides only 2 to 3 grams it often makes up for in sugars. One cup of fruit-flavored low-fat yogurt can provide 43 grams of sugar, more than in a 12-ounce bottle of soda.
Encouraging Good Mental Health
Research suggests that consuming probiotic yogurt is beneficial for a persons mental health.
A found that workers who ate 100 grams of probiotic yogurt a day or took a daily probiotic capsule experienced less stress, depression, and anxiety than those who did not.
This to the relationship between the gut and brain, and the ability of the gut to make neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine.
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So What Are Probiotics
Probiotics are friendly bacteria that provide numerous benefits to your health. They support your bodys existing population of good bacteria and help them to function more efficiently.
Probiotics are available in supplement form but are also present in a range of fermented foods, including yogurt, kimchi, kefir and sauerkraut.
Of course, you cant expect something to improve your health just because it contains probiotic bacteria. It all comes down to the amounts of probiotic bacteria in the product, the variety of strains, whether they survive passage through your stomach, how live the bacteria are, and many other factors.
In most cases, probiotic supplements are more effective than yogurt for providing the health benefits you require. Heres why.
Should I Be Looking For Yogurt With Live Bacterial Culture
These days, all yogurts contain live bacterial culture, as the milk is pasteurized before any culture is added. There is no heating process following the additions of bacterial culture to yogurt, so the bacteria are not killed off. In fact, if you want to culture your own yogurt, you can use any store-bought yogurt as your starter culture.
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Is Whole Milk Yogurt The Same As Greek Yogurt
Probiotics are essentially live organisms which when consumed in sufficient quantity offer health benefits that go beyond basic nutrition. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that we can get through the food we consume. Getting a variety of probiotics regularly can help to balance the microflora in your gut, which can have several advantages such as supporting digestion and promoting overall good health.
According to the WHO , probiotic means for life.
Today, there are so many foods containing probiotics that you can choose from options such as miso, kombucha, tempeh, or kefir. Yogurt is one of the best sources of probiotics because it is made with milk that is fermented with live bacteria. Not only is yogurt an excellent source of probiotics, but it is also high in vitamins, minerals, and protein.
However, not all types of probiotic yogurt are the same and the benefits you get from the yogurt depends on the types of probiotics it contains and the amount.
At present, there are so many brands of yogurt available on the market that it is quite difficult to determine which yogurt has the most probiotics. While buying yogurt, check the labels of the yogurt brands that specify live and active cultures to ensure that it is a good source of probiotics. It is also very important to check the amount of added sugar in the yogurt because sugar can be harmful to your guts health.
