It is one of the oldest foods in the world, dating back to 6000 BC, but now there are a variety of yogurt on the market, which is the healthiest? When we started domesticating animals to produce milk, people needed to find ways to store milk because of their short shelf life. Eventually people thought of fermented milk, "yoghurt" ("yoghurt") from Turkish, meaning "solidified" or "thickened milk."
Yogurt, like milk, is a rich source of calcium and protein, but also provides other nutrients such as iodine, vitamin D, B2, B12 and zinc. But it's actually more nutritious than milk, mainly because fermentation makes it easier to digest, so nutrients can be absorbed more easily.
Make yoghurt
Yogurt is made by adding certain bacteria to fresh milk-typical Streptococcus thermophilus and lactic acid bacteria. Usually, both bacteria exist in yoghurt and form yoghurt starter. Their synergy is a key factor in the consistency of the final product. These bacterial cultures may also offer some health benefits, such as alleviating the severity and duration of diarrhoea.
Bacteria ferment naturally produced lactose in milk for energy and growth. In the process, lactose becomes lactic acid. The development of acidity has led to the decomposition of casein, the main protein in milk, and the loss of some basic structures.
This partial decomposition causes milk to form a semi-solid, gelatinous structure, which we call yoghurt. Lactic acid also makes yogurt sour, giving it a longer shelf life than milk.
What makes yogurt so healthy?
Yogurt is easier to digest than milk, because enzymes involved in the fermentation process break down substances such as lactose into smaller compounds and are easily absorbed. Certain minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus and iron, are extracted from yogurt to help make better use of them. In addition, lactose-intolerant people can drink yogurt without side effects because lactose is decomposed and converted into lactic acid during fermentation.
Drinking yoghurt has many health benefits, including keeping healthy flora (the flora in the intestines). Yogurt nourishes beneficial bacteria and helps them fight pathogenic microbes.
Drinking yoghurt helps maintain bone structure and even reduces the risk of certain cancers and infectious diseases because it boosts the immune response. Yogurt helps relieve constipation, inflammatory bowel disease and Helicobacter pylori infection that destroys the gastric mucosa, diarrhoea and certain allergic reactions, such as allergies to some foods.
Yoghurt Typ
Milk is the most widely used raw material in yoghurt production. But there are other types of yogurt, such as sheep and goat yogurt. These yogurt types have slightly different nutrients.
While milk is usually more attractive (because goat milk may have an odor), the latter two have other health benefits. Goat milk, for example, is easier to digest and less likely to cause allergic reactions than milk.
Dairy-free alternatives, such as soy milk yogurt and coconut milk yogurt, are also becoming increasingly popular.
The most common yogurt is plain yogurt, flavor yogurt, Greek yogurt, frozen yogurt and drinking yogurt (lactic acid bacteria beverage).
Ordinary or canned yoghurt is usually made from dairy ingredients and is fermented in cups or barrels without sugar or sweeteners.
Flavor yogurt is made by adding sugar, fruit, or other flavorings to ordinary yogurt. Typically, milk mixtures are fermented in large barrels, cooled and mixed into cream, adding fruit or other flavors. These mixed yogurt are also known as Swiss yoghurt.
Greek yoghurt is a thick yoghurt. It contains more protein than regular yogurt, no sugar added.
Frozen yoghurt is a typical frozen milk with yogurt flavor. It tastes more like ice cream with yogurt.
Drinking yoghurt is made from yoghurt and low-concentration milk solid mixture. They have almost all kinds of flavors, usually with plenty of water, but there are also some thick varieties. Kefir and Lassi are both popular drinking yoghurt.
Which yoghurt is better for you?
When full-fat milk is used to produce regular yogurt, it contains 3.5 grams of fat per 100 grams. Low-fat yogurt contains less than 3 grams of fat per 100 grams, while non-fat or fat-free yogurt must contain less than 0.15 grams of fat per 100 grams.
High fat and sugar in any food can cause health problems. So, if you want to stay healthy, low-fat, low-sugar yogurt products, such as low-fat Greek yogurt, are ideal.
Yogurt products with fruits or nuts can provide additional nutritional and health benefits, but many may also contain added sugar. Adding fresh fruit or nuts to yogurt is a healthier option.
If you want to drink yogurt containing probiotics, you can choose a product that contains acidophilus or bifidobacterium.
For probiotics yogurt, it is best to choose fresh products rather than products that are near shelf life, as probiotics die during storage.