Yogurt - Dietary Benefits
                                                                 

The making of yogurt probably originated in Asia and Eastern Europe thousands of years ago; a response to the need to find a way to preserve milk beyond the first few hours after opening. With this came the discovery of its many dietary and medicinal benefits. It is now used in many differing and exciting ways, especially on the continent, from marinating, to use in side-salads and curries. The British are generally more conservative in their use of yogurt, but it is quickly becoming a very popular dessert or accompaniment to breakfast cereals and is with the increasing trend towards healthier eating, it is at last being recognized and is gradually being used in an increasing variety of dishes.

Yogurt can be made from sheep's, cows, goats or even Soya milk. A culture of special bacteria is added to the boiled milk, which is then kept warm for several hours during which time the bacteria multiply and convert milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid. It is the lactic acid, which precipitates the curdling of the milk into yogurt at the same time as suppressing the growth of harmful bacteria, giving a product with a longer life. Originally (before pasteurization) yogurt culture was produced by allowing bacteria from the atmosphere of the local surroundings to grow within the milk.

A little of this was then added to fresh milk, allowing the fermentation process to continue. A local culture was believed to be particularly suited to people living in the region and would help to achieve optimum health. However, in today's technological and modern western world, local ecology has been disrupted by pollution and mobile lifestyles, so changing yogurt production from a local process to a large commercial organization.

Nutritional Value:
Natural whole milk yogurt has a similar nutritional value to whole boiled milk, being rich in protein and minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus. Low fat and fat free yogurts are made from skimmed milk powder; they have a slightly higher carbohydrate and protein content than whole milk yogurts. The bonus is that protein, calcium and phosphorus are more easily absorbed from yogurt than from milk as they are partially digested during the fermentation process.

Yogurt can be helpful in restoring the digestive tract to its normal condition after a course of antibiotics, which are liable to indiscriminately destroy all intestinal bacteria, both good and bad.

Some people who are unable to digest dairy products where the condition is due to the loss of the enzyme lactose during adulthood can tolerate yogurt. This enzyme converts lactose to lactic acid and without it, any lactose ingested in milk products will sit undigested in the intestine, attracting water and causing bloating, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. As lactose is already converted to lactic acid during the manufacture of yogurt, people more easily digest it with lactose intolerance than other dairy products.

Source: Goodness Factsheets