What is Greek Yogurt?
Many people know there is a kind of yogurt called Greek yogurt but do not know the difference between it and regular yogurt. They believe that since both yogurts are yogurt, they probably are the same, perform the same function and contain the same amount of nutrients. However, this is not right. Greek yogurt is not your regular kind of yogurt.
If you think they are, you should read this article to understand the difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt and also see how much more health benefits you gain from consuming Greek yogurt than regular yogurt.
According to research, Greek yogurt has existed since ancient times and became popular in about 100BC. It is a kind of yogurt that appears thicker and creamier than regular yogurt because of its processing method. Greek yogurt goes through fermentation and straining to get out the liquid, whey, and lactose.
This process removes excess carbs, sodium, and sugar and makes its protein content more prominent. Studies have shown that Greek yogurt has 2 times more protein than regular yogurt.
Besides protein, Greek yogurt is also rich in nutrients like iodine, phosphorus, vitamin B12, calcium, and selenium, among others. 200 g of unsweetened Greek yogurt contains the following nutrients;
Nutritional Profile of Greek Yoghurt
- Protein: 20 g
- Vitamin A: 21% of the required daily intake value
- Fat: 3.8 g
- Calories: 140
- Carbs: 7g
- Phosphorus: 20% of the required daily intake value
- Vitamin B12: 40% of the necessary daily intake value
- Selenium: 42% of the essential daily intake value
- Calcium: 18% of the necessary daily intake value
- Zinc: 10% of the necessary daily intake value
- Vitamin B5: 15% of the required daily intake value
- Vitamin B2: 30% of the necessary daily intake value
- Iodine: 20 mcg
The nutritional profile of Greek yogurt proves that it is a healthy choice for you. Greek yogurt comes in different forms, flavored or unflavoured, full, free, or reduced fat, and is also available in stores.
When picking a Greek yogurt brand, it is important to check the ingredient to ensure that there are no artificial additives and thickeners, as they can be extremely unhealthy for you. Thus, ensure that whichever brand you are purchasing is 100% natural.
Health Benefits of Greek Yoghurt
Improves Bone Health
Greek yogurt is a unique source of calcium, and calcium is essential for better bone health. Studies have shown that consuming Greek yogurt regularly can boost the calcium levels in the body, thereby preventing degenerative bone diseases like osteoporosis. Although regular yogurt has calcium content, not as much as Greek yogurt.
This makes Greek yogurt a class apart from regular yogurt. You can enjoy Greek yogurt as toppings on your cupcakes. You can also consume it as normal yogurt but with fruit toppings. Whichever method of consumption you employ, Greek yogurt will unleash its full health benefits of boosting your bone health. What is more? Feeding your children with Greek yogurts will strengthen their bones and keep them healthy.
Improves Gut Health
Maintaining the gut walls and feeding the healthy bacteria in your gut are important ways of maintaining a healthy gut. According to research, consuming Greek yogurt regularly can help improve gut health. Studies carried out on a group of middle-aged men with digestive disorders showed that those who consumed Greek yogurt for up to 1 week showed improved symptoms of their digestive condition compared to those who were not on Greek yogurt treatment.
This is because Greek yogurt is packed with probiotics or healthy bacteria that support gut health. It has also been discovered to improve digestion in people with frequent digestive issues while maintaining a healthy digestive system in the process. When purchasing Greek yogurt for this purpose, ensure that it is unsweetened. The sweetened one can harm your gut health by causing a severe imbalance of the gut’s healthy bacteria.
Improves and Boosts the Function of the Heart
Heart conditions are the leading causes of death today, and different factors contribute to poor heart health. One of the major factors that trigger heart conditions is poor diet. That is, consuming foods that lack some essential nutrients or consuming diets that have too much of some nutrients like sodium.
High sodium content in the body can drastically increase your chances of suffering from severe heart conditions. This is why consuming less sodium or foods with low sodium content is advisable. Studies showed that up to 43% of people who suffer from heart conditions have a medical history of high sodium in their blood.
On the other hand, Greek yogurt has up to 65% less sodium content than regular yogurt. This makes Greek yogurt healthy for you, as it provides enough sodium for your body to function well without depositing excess amounts of sodium.
May Lower Diabetes Risks
Although more research is still ongoing on how Greek yogurt can further lower the risks of diabetes. However, previous research showed that the process of straining Greek yogurt gets rid of the sugar content in it, thus, making it a sugar-free yogurt.
Since sugar is one of the leading causes of diabetes, and the sugar content in Greek yogurt is controlled, it means Greek yogurt is healthy and can help prevent and even manage diabetes. Studies showed that consuming Greek yogurt every day can reduce your chances of suffering from diabetes by up to 15%. For diabetes prevention, you should buy unsweetened Greek yogurt.
Speeds Up Workout Recovery
Some workouts can be strenuous, while others can cause temporal damage to some muscles. However, consuming Greek yogurt a few hours before or after your workout can help repair and regenerate your muscles and help you build energy. Thus, making you recover fast from the effects of the workout.
In addition, Greek yogurt is packed with amino acids, which work hand in hand with other proteins to promote an energy boost. You can enjoy your workout with greek yogurt by blending bananas or berries and mixing them in Greek yogurt. This makes a healthy snack for your post-workout. When shopping for Greek yogurt, it is best to check out the ingredients or nutritional make-up of the brand of Greek yogurt you want to buy.
This will help you look out for unhealthy additives and thickeners. These additives and thickeners can be unhealthy for you and can stamp out the essence of your consuming Greek yogurt in the first place. In other words, ensure that the brand you are buying does not contain any additives.
Encourages Weight Loss
This yogurt has a greatest protein content than other kinds of yogurt, and the protein content in Greek yogurt is enough to make you feel full all day long, thus, lessening the rate at which you eat it daily.
In addition, since the fat content in Greek yogurt is low and its protein content is high, it will help you maintain a healthy weight and speed up your weight loss journey. Greek yogurt also contains low amounts of sugar. Thus, snacking on this yogurt will reduce your blood sugar levels, thereby making you crave less junk.
Improves Cognition and the Other Functions of the Brain
According to research, consuming Greek yogurt regularly can boost cognitive function and eliminate mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. This is courtesy of its probiotic content.
Studies have revealed that the probiotic bacteria in Greek yogurt tend to reduce the effects of the metabolite that causes depression and anxiety. In other words, Greek yogurt can boost your mental health, strengthen your emotions, help you manage mental stress, anxiety, and depression, and improve your cognitive function.
Conclusion
Greek yogurt is healthy for you and is completely different from regular yogurt. It appears thicker than regular yogurt due to its straining and fermentation process. Greek yogurt is packed with essential nutrients that can benefit and maintain good health.
You can enjoy Greek yogurt by adding it as a topping on your cupcake or blending other fruits into your Greek yogurt. Also, ensure that the Greek yogurt brand you are purchasing is natural and has no iota of additives.
