I love yogurt
The knowledge that yogurt with its healthy bacteria provides healthy nutrition has been passed on through generations. It was Dr. Metchnikoff who in the early 20th century publically espoused the benefits of yogurt for health. In fact he attributed his own health and longevity to yogurt.
As stated in the book, "Natural Stomach Care", an average American eats four to six pounds of yogurt per year. The commercial market for yogurt exceeds $2.2 billion in the US and the popularity of yogurt continues to grow.
A big advantage of yogurt over milk and its other products is that it is well tolerated by those with deficiency of the enzyme lactase manifesting as lactose intolerance.
As per regulations, yogurt must have two types of "friendly" bacteria to qualify as yogurt. These are Lactobacillus acidophilus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, but their beneficial effect especially in doses seen in usual yogurt is controversial. Some brands subject yogurt to further heat treatment resulting in killing of bacteria in an attempt to boost the shelf life. This step gets rid of any potential benefits of these bacteria.
A brand of yogurt containing live cultures has a logo/seal (in the form of A C which stands for active cultures) on the container. Thus, yogurt may be made by active cultures but may or may not have the bacteria depending upon the brand.
Note however, that the seal is voluntary and its presence implies that the yogurt contains atleast 100 million bacteria per gram at the time of manufacture.
Health-oriented yogurt brands tend to contain one or more bacteria in addition to the two outlined above. In addition, the number of bacteria per serving is much higher so that enough bacteria can survive to the colon and exert their beneficial effects to the highest potential.
A word of caution: Avoid frozen or sweetened yogurts and those with fruit if your goal is the highest health benefit.
Do you like or eat yogurt? Did you learn any unique things from your mom or grandma about yogurt? Would the above information change your dietary habits in any way? Please let me know what you think.
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