Health Benefits of Yogurt & How It Improve Immunity System

Yogurt is an essential part of human food habits in almost every cuisine. We are consuming this dairy product for thousands of years as freshly prepared or combined with other dishes. It packs several crucial nutrients lack of which can cause us many ailments down the line. For instance, yogurt lowers the risk of cardiovascular conditions, aid in effective weight management, and boost immunity, among others. In this brief article, we are going to explore how yogurt can promote good health and strong immunity with data available from several study results.

A little bit about yogurt and how it’s being made

It’s a dairy product and prepared using bacterial fermentation of cow, buffalo, and goat milk mainly. The bacteria which we use here are known as yogurt cultures. These cultures ferment natural sugar content (lactose) in milk, and yogurt comes out in the process. Also, it produces Lactic acid during the fermentation process, which is responsible for the curdling of milk protein and the distinctive texture and flavor we love yogurt for.

We use most types of milk to produce yogurt, be it the skimmed type or whole full-fat variety. The regular kind of home-made yogurt comes without any added sugar, color, or other additives. It offers the highest health benefits comparing the commercially available products.

1. Offers a vast range of nutritional profile

What if we tell you a single serving of thick white home-made yogurt comes with almost every nutrient our body needs to function properly? It’s one of the top food sources of dietary calcium, which is essential for our bone and teeth health. A single serving of yogurt can offer up to 49% of the daily calcium requirement for an adult human. It is rich in the whole vitamin B range, especially riboflavin and B12. These two vital nutrients potentially resist several heart disorders and protect against some congenital disabilities in newborns.

Also, one serving portion of yogurt contains phosphorus (38% of daily need), potassium (18% of daily requirement), and magnesium (12% of one’s need each day). These essential minerals are responsible for keeping your metabolism healthy, making your bones strong, maintaining blood pressure, and many others.

However, yogurt doesn’t offer D vitamin, which is a crucial micronutrient. It promotes immunity power, bone health, and lower risks of some lifestyle ailments, including depression and cardiovascular diseases. That’s why branded yogurts come fortified with vitamin D usually.

2. Contains a high amount of protein

Yogurt comes with loads of protein content – you will get around 12 grams of high-quality animal protein from 100 grams of yogurt, which is quite an impressive protein profile. Protein is the primary building block to build your muscles. It further promotes efficient metabolism and weight management since protein helps to burn more calories. It keeps your stomach fuller for a longer time, resulting in reduced snacking crave.

3. It’s crucial for digestive health

Although not every kind, but some yogurts come with live probiotics. These probiotics, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, provide many benefits to one’s digestive system. According to the studies, people with IBS symptoms can get benefits if they make yogurt as a part of their daily diet. They may notice the severity of the condition reduced significantly.

However, many branded yogurts offer no live probiotic as producers don’t add them additionally after pasteurization. One must look on the label before buying to see if the manufacturer has mentioned it.
Moreover, some researchers indicate that probiotics can be helpful in case of diarrhea induced by antibiotics.

4. It promotes immune system

Regular intake of probiotic-rich yogurt ensures a stronger immune system. It was found that probiotics have the potential to reduce inflammation. Researchers further revealed that probiotics present in yogurt can actually reduce the number of occurrences, period, and impact of common viral diseases like the seasonal cold.

Yogurt comes packed with immunity-promoting nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, and selenium. Also, the types that come fortified with D vitamins offer an extra boost to your immunity health. Vitamin D is a well-regarded immunity booster.