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Yogurt Health Benefits

Why is non fat yogurt beneficial over fatty yogurt? How to prepare it?
(April 14, 2011)

Yogurt has, for a very long time, been considered to be very beneficial for an individuals overall health and is regularly recommended to be an important part of a person’s daily diet. Most of the health benefits possessed by this type of food lie in its preparation. It is prepared by simply combining milk or cream cultures with some active live cultures. In ore detail, cultures are essentially good bacteria that are an essential part of the proper functioning of the body while also preventing the growth of harmful bacteria which is a common cause of infections and diseases. Because of the fact that yogurt is essentially made from dairy products, it has a significantly high calcium content – making it very beneficial when it comes to teeth maintenance as well as the prevention of bone density and osteoporosis.

Yogurt is also a very good source of protein and provides the body with a lot of energy and building blocks for a number of internal systems in the body including the muscular system. Moreover, the protein intake also helps curb the appetite while also helping you feel full for a longer period of time – thereby also helping you maintain a healthy weight balance.

Organic yogurt is a type of yogurt that is specially made to retain certain qualities such as being low in low in sugar content as well as added fat and high fructose corn syrup. With the increasing focus on overall health and body weigh maintenance, organic or low fat yogurt is widely regarded as a very beneficial food source. The fact that it is very versatile and can be included in your daily diet in a variety of ways helps significantly.

Organic yogurt can be easily made in the comfort of your own home. All you need to do is collect a few ingredients that you are going to require during the preparation such as four cups of whole milk and a single cup of dry milk that is of the non fat variety. Some of the other ingredients you will require include about ½ cup of yogurt starter and a drop of animal rennet. The preparation will start with heating up the whole milk on a medium low flame. Once it has boiled, remove the milk from the stove and add a cup of dry milk before stirring it until it has reached a smooth consistency. Continuing to stir it will increase the nutritional content of the yogurt. Cool the milk and add the yogurt starter before you stir it again. Then incubate the yogurt to encourage the bacteria to grow. A few hours later you will notice the development of a greenish layer on the top. This is perfectly natural and will take about 2 weeks before it can be served.

Submitted by A M on April 14, 2011 at 02:28

Yogurt contains calcium, protein, magnesium, riboflavin, vitamins B 12 and B6. Whether the yogurt is non-fat or plain low fat, it is considered to be very healthy and nutritious. The benefit of non-fat yogurt or low fat yogurt is that it has a lower calorific value as it does not contain the fatty acids that full fat yogurt contains. Yogurt contains active cultures which milk does not and these help in digesting the natural sugars called lactose that are found in milk which can causes a person to feel bloated and even cause diarrhea in others.

When one mixes non fat yogurt or even plain low fat yogurt with fresh fruit pieces, it can result in a very nutritious meal. Fatty yogurt contains saturated fat and so a four ounce serving will contain about 15 to 20 percent of a person’s daily fat requirement. For those who are seriously watching their weight, consuming non fat yogurt is infinitely preferable to eating fatty yogurt. Low fat yogurt contains one third the saturated fats of fatty non skimmed yogurt. Consuming low-fat or non-fat yogurt will therefore help to reduce the individual’s fat intake. The ideal daily quantity of yogurt that should be consumed is about 8 ounces and it is preferable that the yogurt contains no more than 2 grams of the saturated fats. This would amount to 240 calories and approximately 40 grams in sugars. This would also provide about a quarter of the calcium requirement for a day.

To make the non fat yogurt one would need about a quart of some non fat milk, about a quarter or a half cup of some non fat milk and about 2 to 3 teaspoons of yogurt that contains live cultures. One can optionally even use bacteria that have been freeze dried. To start, heat the milk to about 85 degrees C. Use 2 pots or vessels that fit inside each other to create a kind of double boiler effect. This will help to prevent the milk from becoming too hot and sticking to the sides of the vessel. Always ensure that you monitor the milk and ensure that you are stirring it occasionally. The milk will begin to froth at about 85 degrees C or 185F. The next step involves cooling the milk. One can evenly and very quickly reduce the temperature by placing the vessel in the refrigerator. One can even cool the contents at room temperature. The yogurt that is being used as the starter yogurt should be at room temperature. It should preferably not be too cold. Next add the non fat milk and stir it well so that there are no lumps in the mixture.

Submitted by E L on July 15, 2010 at 07:49

Yogurt Health Benefits

Why is non fat yogurt beneficial over fatty yogurt? How to prepare it? (April 14, 2011)

Why is non fat yogurt beneficial over fatty yogurt? How to prepare it?
(April 14, 2011)