The Cultures of Yogurt

Eat your way to health every single day with nature’s good bacteria

Personally, I really don’t think that I can go a day without eating yogurt. It just tastes so good, and there are so many flavors to choose from! For a health-conscious girl like me, the variety makes me feel like I’m a little girl in a candy shop, only all grown up now. It’s no secret that yogurt is good for you. Jam-packed with protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals, this little delight is pretty hard to resist. And its soft touch of sweetness keeps us coming back for more. The best thing about this portable food is that it makes a super quick and easy snack for a girl on the go.

The most important and well-known ingredient in yogurt is its live and active cultures, also known as good bacteria. Their existence is made known on the outside of each and every cup of yogurt. But don’t be afraid of yogurt’s bacteria! This is not the same stuff you find on the toilet seats in public bathrooms. This type of bacteria is actually very beneficial to your health. According to research, yogurt’s bacteria revs up your immune system, protecting you from colds and infections. It also aids in digestion, outnumbering harmful microorganisms that can coat your digestive tract and lead to a nasty intestinal infection. Feeling a little sick after eating that plate of carry out Chinese food? Think about eating a cup of yogurt. Its probiotics will help ease the pain and spread of harmful bacteria. But make sure to pay attention to the label on your container of yogurt. Although most companies include live and active cultures in their yogurt, a few don’t, and you should skip these when you make your trip to the grocery store.

Yogurt’s high levels of vitamins and minerals help us meet our daily nutrition requirement, especially when we are unable to get an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables in any given day. Calcium keeps our bones strong and dense. Potassium keeps our muscles contracting the way they are meant to. Vitamin B12 keeps our red blood cells in tact so that our nervous system doesn’t breakdown. Zinc balances our sugar levels and stabilizes our metabolism. Need I go on? We need all this good stuff to keep our bodies energized and functioning properly. And there is no easier way to get it than with what’s in that Yoplait container waiting in the corner of your refrigerator.

Protein is essential for our bodies to stay energized throughout the day and capable of repairing itself at night with amino acids, which are the key to muscle repair after a workout. Without proteins, our bodies wouldn’t be able to produce enough amino acids, and those long hours at the gym would mean even longer hours of pain and soreness afterwards. When your muscles repair properly and are ready to face another rigorous day, more calories are burned. This is a great kick start on a waning metabolism, which means more lean muscle mass and less fat density.

So, it is an obvious fact that yogurt slims waistlines. Not only does it curb cravings with its sweetness and carbohydrates, but the calcium in yogurt also makes our bodies pump out less cortisol, the hormone that increases the production of fat in our bodies when there is an increase in our blood’s glucose level. Too much glucose is a health no-no. This makes sense in terms of stress, because when we are stressed we are known to put on a few pounds here and there. Blame it on the glucose! Well, you don’t need to blame it anymore when you have yogurt on hand. Paired with an active lifestyle, belly fat is no longer a concern.

These are just a few of the health benefits of yogurt. Really, the list is endless. Not only is yogurt incredibly good for you, its creamy texture and fruity taste make it the perfect dessert replacement. Yes, I am speaking to all you ice cream lovers. Just think of yogurt as the smarter, healthier version of your favorite flavor at Ben and Jerry’s. Now that’s something to smile about! And with the positive effects of yogurt’s calcium on bone density, showing some tooth with confidence is as easy as 1-2-3.

So make sure to have a container of yogurt each and every day. To amp up its dessert alter-ego, I like to top mine with yogurt covered raisons or almond slices to add some more crunch factor. It’s a known fact that when we eat something that crunches and involves a lot of chewing, we feel more satisfied and full afterwards. Yogurt, is there anything you can’t do?

Published June 21, 2010 on LVCMag.com