Is Greek yogurt good for you?

Go to the grocery store and you will see hundreds of varieties of yogurt to choose from.  For years eating yogurt was a popular fad.  And that was great as yogurt is a great health food.  But lately, my husband says there are less and less varieties of yogurt to choose from.  Many of the flavors we love are getting harder to find.  Sad, as this means people are eating less yogurt and may be substituting yogurt for some foods that are far less nutritious. When students in my class analyze their diet recall there is almost two nutrients they are low in, calcium and vitamin D.  These are two nutrients that most yogurts are a great source of.  If you have been cutting back on your yogurt intake, it would be a great time to add some yogurt back to your day.

What is Greek yogurt and how does it differ from regular yogurt?

According to WebMD, “Greek yogurt has been strained to remove extra liquid and whey.  The result is a thicker, denser final product with a higher concentration of protein and probiotics”.  Since the whey is removed, much of the lactose (natural milk sugar) is also removed.  As a result, Greek yogurt has less lactose sugar than regular yogurt. 

What are some of the health benefits of Greek yogurt?

• Protein – Greek yogurt is made from cow’s milk and thus contains a high-quality protein found in cow’s milk, casein.  Eggs are the gold standard for protein quality, but cow’s milk protein comes in second place.  Most people don’t realize it, but cow’s milk has a higher quality protein than meat.  And Greek yogurt has almost double the protein of regular yogurt, about 19 grams of protein in a cup (8-ounce) serving.
• Healthy Bones – for healthy bones you need calcium and vitamin D.  As noted above a lot of people are eating diets low in calcium.  To eat healthy, one should have a serving of cow’s milk dairy at every meal.  Yogurt is a great way to add some dairy to a meal.  Children and adults need bone-building calcium every day.  Kids 4-8 years need 1,000 mg of calcium a day, teenagers 1300 mg a day and adults about 1,000 mg a day.  Yogurt packs in the calcium as 8 ounces of yogurt provides over 400 mg of calcium.   Most yogurts aren’t in 8-ounce containers but 6 ounces or less.  We try to buy yogurt in at least 6-ounce containers, as I want all the calcium I can get from yogurt.  Yogurt can also be a good source of vitamin D.  Like cow’s milk, many yogurts are fortified with vitamin D.  But check the label to be sure vitamin D has been added.
• Digestive health – who knew that our gut contains “good” bacteria.  Bacteria that are actually beneficial to your health.  Yogurt, including Greek yogurt contains live bacterial cultures often called probiotics.  These “good bacteria keep you healthy by supporting your immune function and controlling inflammation”.  One study found that eating yogurt can reduce visceral fat (stomach fat) and improves your gut microbiome.
• Heart health – what does eating yogurt have to do with your heart?  Eating yogurt can lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and this can reduce your risk of heart disease. 
• Lower diabetes risk – Type 2 diabetes is on the rise in America.  Eating some yogurt may help you reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  A Harvard study “found that a daily serving of yogurt was linked to an 18% lower risk of type 2 diabetes”.     
• Healthy body weight – the protein in yogurt helps you feel full longer after a meal.  Yogurt may help you lose weight and body fat. One study found that eating yogurt helped lower body weight, lead to a smaller waist circumference, and lower body fat overall.  
• Good nutrition – Greek yogurt is loaded with many vitamins and minerals including:

• Iodine that promotes a strong immune system and good thyroid function
• Vitamins A, D and B12.  (Animal foods naturally provide vitamin B12.  Not all plant-based milks are fortified with B12.).  Note: only some brands of Greek yogurt are fortified with vitamin D.  Check the label to see if the yogurt has vitamin D.  If not, be sure to have other sources of vitamin D in your diet and go outside for some “D”
• Minerals including calcium (as noted above) and potassium, phosphorus and some magnesium

 

Is yogurt a good for muscle recovery after you exercise?

Post-exercise you want to eat some foods with protein and carbs.  Yogurt is a great choice for protein as the casein in yogurt provides a very high-quality protein.  Also, the protein in yogurt is a “bio-available protein that may promote muscle repair and recovery especially for those involved in resistance training.”  Greek yogurt is a good choice as it is higher in protein than regular yogurt. 

Is Greek yogurt good for everyone? 

People with allergies to cow’s milk should avoid yogurt.  However, those with lactose intolerance may find they can tolerate some yogurt.  As noted above, Greek yogurt has less lactose than regular yogurt and less lactose than milk.  Those healthy bacteria in Greek yogurt actually help breakdown some of the lactose so it is more easily digested.  Although not a Greek yogurt, Fairlife makes a lactose free yogurt that is made with real cow’s milk.  Their yogurt is also a good source of protein. 

Conclusion:  If you haven’t tried yogurt, enjoy some this week.  Find a brand and flavor you like.  One of my students brought some yogurt to class and was making a face after every spoonful.  She said she just didn’t like the taste. But other students recommended other brands and flavors.  The following week she was enjoying a yogurt flavor she liked.  If you were a yogurt eater but have cut back for some reason, this is a good time to add it back to your daily routine.  My daughter brings a yogurt to work to have as a snack every day.  In a hurry, then add some yogurt to a smoothie.  By adding some yogurt to your day, you add some good nutrition to your day. 

Sources:  WebMD , casein , protein , bone-building , probiotics , study, yogurt, Harvard study , One study , Iodine , protein , promote muscle repair and recovery , lactose , Fairlife   Image Sources:  Health benefits ,  Greek yogurt , Yogurt parfait