11 SECRETS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOGURT

What's tasty, easy, and has lots of health benefits? Yogurt! It’s nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamins B6, B12 and can be made from cow, sheep or goats milk.

We always recommend low fat, plain yogurt as a great snack.  The live ‘good’ bacterium in it helps your digestion and protects you against other harmful bacteria.  

We have our own personal favourites but it's always plain and low fat.

Low fat, plain Greek yogurt is very popular because it contains almost double the protein of other yogurts. Greek yogurt is traditionally made with sheep’s milk, which is easy to digest.

Eleven secrets you may not know about yogurt

1. YOGURT is very high in calcium. One cup of plain low fat yoghurt provides 400mg of calcium – that’s more than a cup of milk.
   
2. YOGURT has as much potassium as a banana and as much protein as an egg or 60g of meat. 
3. YOGURT is easier to digest than milk due to the culturing process.  Bacterial enzymes created by the culturing process partially digest the milk protein casein, making it easier to absorb and less allergenic.
4. YOGURT can be enjoyed by many people who cannot tolerate milk – due either to lactose intolerance or a protein allergy.  The live active cultures in yogurt create lactase (the enzyme lactose-intolerant people lack) and in some yogurts another enzyme (beta-galactosidase). Both improve lactose absorption in lactase-deficient people.
5. YOGURT contributes to colon health. Yogurt contains lactobacteria (especially acidophilus) which promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon and reduces the conversion of bile into carcinogenic bile acids.  The more of these intestine friendly bacteria that are present in your colon, the lower the chance of colon diseases. 
6. YOGURT is a rich source of calcium - a mineral that contributes to colon health.  Calcium discourages excess growth of the cells lining the colon, which can place a person at high risk of colon cancer. Calcium also binds cancer-producing bile acids and keeps them from irritating the colon wall. 
7. YOGURT improves the bioavailability of other nutrients.  Culturing of yogurt increases the absorption of calcium and B vitamins. The lactic acid in the yogurt aids in the digestion of the milk calcium, making the calcium easier to absorb.
8. YOGURT can boost immunity.  The bacterial cultures in yogurt have also been shown to stimulate infection-fighting white cells in the bloodstream.
9. YOGURT aids healing after intestinal infections.  Some viral and allergic gastrointestinal disorders injure the lining of the intestines, especially the cells that produce lactase.  This results in temporary lactose mal-absorption problems and is why children cannot tolerate milk for a month or two after an intestinal infection. Because yogurt contains less lactose and more lactase, it’s usually well tolerated by healing intestines and is a popularly used 'healing food' for diarrhoea.
10. YOGURT is good to eat while on antibiotics.   The yogurt will minimise the effects of the antibiotic on the friendly bacteria in the intestines. Take a daily dose of yogurt while on antibiotics and for two weeks thereafter.   You can alternatively take a tablet form of a probiotic, but do not take the tablet at the same time as the antibiotic - leave it a few hours.
11. YOGURT can decrease yeast infections.

Shopping tips for buying yogurt

• Check the container to see if it says 'live and active cultures.’ Beware that some manufacturers heat the yogurt after it's cultured to increase the shelf life or reduce tartness but kill the good bacteria in the process.
• Choose a brand that is low in fat and calories, with as few additives as possible.
• Plain yogurt is best.
• Do not eat yogurt covered in nibble foods such as raisins, nuts and fruit bits -- they are full of sugar and fat. You’ll be eating more sugar than yogurt.
• Do not eat coloured, high sugar, high fat yogurts.