Many times we eat some foods for learning and pure inertia without stopping to see if they are good or bad. In the case of natural yogurt, there are many benefits that many are unaware of, and that today we are going to capture in this article. From strengthening the bones, to improving the immune system, and even to protecting the nervous system.
Natural yogurt can be eaten at almost any time and at any age. The most normal thing is to buy flavored yogurts, but it is not a good idea, since the vast majority of those options are only colorings and flavorings, actually strawberry, lemon, coconut, etc. they only have 1% or less. The best option is to choose natural yogurt and add the fruit ourselves, or put the yogurt in a blender and add some pieces of fruit, so that we make a natural and homemade smoothie.
It should also be said that the best option is to choose unsweetened yogurt , since throughout the day we already consume enough sugar, even doubling the 25 grams of sugar per day (maximum) recommended by the World Health Organization.
Nutritional values
The following information will be based on 100 grams (standardized amount to carry out nutritional measurements) of yogurt in general, since we have not chosen any brand or any specific type of natural yogurt, it will only be a superficial analysis of 100 grams of yogurt natural whole and sweetened.
About 100 grams of this food have 17.60 grams of carbohydrates, 24.30 grams of fat , 14.80 grams of animal proteins, no fiber, 5.50 grams of sugar , 12 mg of cholesterol, 80 mg of salt, almost 90% water, 0.0230 grams of Omega 3 and 0.0960 of Omega 6.
With regard to vitamins and minerals, whole natural yogurt is quite complete: 9.10 mg of vitamin A, 3.70 mg of vitamin B9, 0.44 mg of vitamin B3, 0.70 of vitamin C, among others as vitamin B1, B12, B2, B6, D and E. We do not forget the minerals that are the following: 142 mg of calcium, 170 mg of phosphorus, 280 mg of potassium, 14.30 of magnesium apart from iron and zinc.
Maximum amount and ideas to add it to our diet
As we said at the beginning of the text, many times we eat certain foods without knowing what they contribute. A good example of this is yogurt, and that is why we wanted to indicate what is the maximum daily amount recommended by the experts.
In the case of whole natural yogurt, we should not exceed 250 grams per day , which is equivalent to 2 normal yogurts. Always taking into account the nutritional values and without specifying any brand, if it has pieces of fruit or not and others. Just noticing that it is a whole and sweetened natural yogurt.
By now, some may wonder what normal ways are there to add this food to our daily diet. For example, make a natural smoothie, eat it with cereals, add it to a bowl and add fruits such as strawberries, pineapple, peach, blueberries, etc.
We can also make cakes with yogurt, homemade ice cream , cupcakes, yogurt cream, cold creams with avocado, cucumber and tomato, yogurt sauce for salads, aubergine ravioli with yogurt sauce , pork tenderloin with yogurt, chicken with yogurt sauce and walnuts, etc.
Types of yogurts
Currently there are countless types of yogurt, both classic and vegetable adapted to new trends in food.
Be that as it may, they are all equally good options, as long as their ingredients are healthy and we always choose a yogurt without added sugar and always natural. We must flee from flavored yogurts, as they tend to be artificial colors, rather than the original ingredient that promises to give that flavor, such as strawberry, for example.
- Whole.
- Skimmed
- Sweetened and without sugar.
- Sweetened.
- With honey.
- With fruits.
- Of flavors.
- With cereals.
- Bifidus.
- With goat, cow, sheep milk, etc.
- Chocolate.
- Greek.
- Kefir.
- Soy, oatmeal, coconut vegetables, etc.
Main benefits of natural yogurt
If we are here it is because we want to know what benefits natural yogurt has in our body, so we are going to tell its main benefits and surely from now on we will add it more often to our diet, but always without exceeding the maximum daily amount recommended.
Improves overall health
Yogurt is so balanced that it helps the health of our body in different ways, for example, it is good for the skin because it does not interfere with the creation of elastin and collagen, it is also good for the teeth and prevents osteoporosis due to its high content in calcium, it protects the nervous system, yogurt also improves cardiovascular health , since the high content of monounsaturated fats provides a good dose of good cholesterol and reduces blood pressure.
This food also strengthens the immune system thanks to its content in probiotics (yeast bacteria), let’s not forget that dairy products, and more specifically their carbohydrates and proteins, help physical recovery after training. And finally, yogurt improves our mood thanks to its action in the intestine since it is the organ responsible for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for putting us in a good mood.
Promotes intestinal transit
Dairy products, as long as they do not have intolerances, are beneficial for digestion thanks to the probiotics present in whole natural yogurt. This food is often considered a natural medicine, since it regulates intestinal transit and helps (slightly) to cut down the processes of diarrhea.
By promoting digestion, gas, stomach pain, bloating and other causes of heavy digestion are reduced. In addition, yogurt is a perfect snack since it satisfies us enough to spend a few hours without snacking, reducing fat intake and promoting weight loss.
Helps prevent cancer
In the market there is no food, no home remedy, no medicinal oil, no miracle water, no healers, no homeopathy or anything capable of magically curing cancer. Hopefully, really, but for now, we can only have a very varied diet loaded with soluble fiber, far from sugar, low in salt, well loaded with vegetables, seeds and nuts and where red meat is scarce.
Natural yogurt is a good ally in that diet that we have mentioned, since it helps reduce the amount of nitrites that is stored in the body and that are responsible for the formation of nitrosamines. Translated into our language, this component can increase the risk of suffering from cancer.
Yogurt contraindications
Who doesn’t like yogurt? So very cool in summer with freshly cut fruit, because despite how appetizing it is, there are certain contraindications.
The main adverse effect of plain yogurt is lactose intolerance . Depending on the level of intolerance we have, we can occasionally eat a yogurt, because we do not suffer beyond a stomach ache, or better not touch a dairy anymore because it gives us anaphylactic shock.
Another contraindication of this healthy food, or not so much, is the sugar content. That is why at the beginning of the text we have indicated that the healthiest thing was to choose options without sugar or sweeteners of any kind. If we want to sweeten it, we can use natural honey, fruit mixes, chocolate chips, cookie chips, seeds, etc.
