Yogurt Smoothies & Health

Creamy, fruit-filled drinkable yogurt is certainly one of life's small pleasures. France, renowned for its people's beauty and longevity, has more yogurt varieties than any large American supermarket today. Even children enjoy the fruity sweetness swirled into yogurt. Subtle spices, ground nuts and seasonal fruits and veggies pack smoothies full of goodness. Yogurt is an easy way to make a healthy smoothie with a satisfying texture.

Unsweetened

Yogurt free of added sugar has a tartness that may become satisfying. Labeled "plain," it is the ideal healthy smoothie base. Some recipe ingredients will provide adequate sweetness, so that flavored yogurt, such as vanilla yogurt, would cause a cloyingly sweet smoothie. Yogurt's versatility in cooking, as a creamy spiced sauce or a sour cream substitute, can sometimes cause plain versions to sell out from your local grocery store. Stocking up on plain yogurt is practical because its acidity makes it long-lasting.

Heart Health

Enjoying yogurt may reduce personal risk of heart disease, particularly for those with high cholesterol. A study in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" found that cholesterol was reduced with a single daily serving of yogurt over a few weeks by people who are hypercholesterolemic. Study researchers concluded that "regular intake of FM" -- fermented milk -- "containing an appropriate strain of L. acidophilus has the potential of reducing risk for coronary heart disease by 6 to 10 percent."

Good Bacteria

Gastrointestinal system health is due partly to helpful live microorganisms increasingly known as "probiotics." Yogurt made by Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus especially may be therapeutic. In a study published in the journal "Applied and Environmental Biology," this good bacteria strain survived the digestive and elimination process while arriving at the distal tract in a useful form, "unequivocally considered key features for a probiotic." To ensure that good bacteria have survived, look for unpasteurized yogurt for optimum nutrition in smoothies.

Nutrients

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 cup of plain yogurt, 416 mg, has almost double the amount of calcium found in a cup of milk, 285 mg, and is even higher than found in sardines with bones, 325 mg. Moreover, increasingly well-designed studies are likely since researchers have noted that "substantial evidence currently exists to support a beneficial effect of yogurt consumption on gastrointestinal health."

Ingredients

Yogurt smoothies are healthy in themselves, with a small amount of water for blending into a drink served over ice. They also serve as a way to increase fruit and vegetable intake. Daily intake of fruits is recommended at four to five servings per day, with a serving being a baseball-sized fruit or 1/2 cup of fresh or canned fruit. A portion of the three to five daily vegetable servings can be added to yogurt smoothies more easily after being finely chopped or macerated in a food processor or juicer.