The convenience and taste of yogurt make it a favorite food for many people. Yogurt offers nutritional value and versatility in the diet. This dairy product is a suitable option for breakfast, snacks and as additions to other meals. Beyond the creamy texture and variety of flavors, yogurt offers several health benefits that you may notice when you eat it on a regular basis.
Immunity
The live cultures, often called probiotics, in yogurt help boost your immune system, according to "Fitness" magazine. A stronger immune system helps you fend off common illnesses such as colds; your body is better able to fight off the illnesses before they are able to develop. The World's Healthiest Foods lists lactobacillus casei, a good bacteria often found in yogurt, as particularly useful in strengthening the immune system. Consuming yogurt daily provides the best results for immunity.
Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
Those with high cholesterol may enjoy improved cholesterol levels from yogurt, particularly when part of an overall healthy diet, according to The World's Healthiest Foods. You may experience lower levels of bad, or LDL, cholesterol and increased good, or HDL, cholesterol when you consume yogurt containing probiotics daily.
"Fitness" magazine also mentions blood pressure as improving with regular yogurt consumption. The potassium may get rid of excess sodium in the body, which may help keep blood pressure low.
Weight Management
The calcium in yogurt may help you lose or maintain your weight, according to "Fitness." Cutting calories and consuming yogurt may specifically help you target belly fat while holding on to muscle mass that helps burn calories. Calcium is shown to slow the release of cortisol, a hormone that causes more fat to accumulate in the stomach area.
Exercise also helps maintain or lose weight, and yogurt may help you recover after you work out. "Fitness" magazine recommends eating yogurt within an hour of finishing your exercise session. The yogurt can replenish your energy and help with muscle repair.
Digestion
Yogurt aids the digestive process in many ways, according to AskDrSears.com. Yogurt is easier on the digestive process than milk, allowing some people with lactose intolerance to consume yogurt. Eating yogurt after an intestinal infection may help with healing, and is easier to tolerate than milk until the intestines are back to normal. Yogurt may help improve diarrhea symptoms faster. It is also recommended while taking antibiotics to help protect the balance of bacteria in the intestines.
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