The benefit of eating yogurt is improved health. Yogurt contains healthy bacteria, known as probiotics, that help keep your digestive and immune systems functioning well. It is also a good source of protein and nutrients important for bone health. Additionally, some studies suggest yogurt may aid weight loss.
Because yogurt is made from milk, it can be a good source of calcium and vitamin D -- the two most important nutrients for bone health, according to the National Osteopororis Foundation. An 8-ounce serving of plain, low-fat yogurt contains 415 milligrams of calcium, which is 42 percent of the daily requirement for adults. Men and women ages 19 to 50 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day and women over 70 need 1,200 milligrams. Eating three servings of yogurt a day would more than satisfy that requirement. Some yogurts are fortified with vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, most fortified yogurts contain 20 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin D, but some heavily fortified yogurts have more.
Probiotics may help treat diarrhea, especially following treatment with antibiotics; irritable bowel syndrome; and certain intestinal infections, according to Mayo Clinic. In a study published in the “Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition” in November 1990, babies and toddlers fed yogurt instead of milk had less diarrhea than the children given milk. Lactobacillus acidophilus, a type of good bacteria found in some yogurts, may be particularly beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome.
Yogurt may speed weight loss due to its low calorie content and fat-burning properties, according to a study published in the January 2005 issue of the “International Journal of Obesity.” Obese people in the study who ate yogurt as part of a reduced-calorie diet lost more body fat and retained more lean tissue than those who didn’t eat yogurt. The yogurt eaters also lost 81 percent more weight in their midsections. The weight loss could be due to calcium, which increases fat breakdown when yogurt is included in a reduced-calorie diet, according to a report in the December 2005 issue of the “Journal of the American College of Nutrition.”
To receive the benefits of yogurt without packing on pounds, choose low-fat, low-sugar yogurt. A 6-ounce container of low-fat yogurt without added sugar contains from 90 to 120 calories, and nonfat yogurt has less than 0.5 percent milk fat. Sugar from fruit is healthier than high-fructose corn syrup that may be added to yogurt. Even frozen yogurt is lower in fat than ice cream. An additional yogurt benefit: People who are lactose-intolerant can eat some yogurt because much of the milk sugar has been removed and converted to lactic acid.
- MayoClinic.com: Are Probiotics and Prebiotics Important for Health?
- NBC News: The 101 on Yogurt and Its Benefits
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: The Role of Dairy Products in Weight Management
- National Osteoporosis Foundation: Calcium and Vitamin D
- National Osteoporosis Foundation: Food and Your Bones
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Calcium
- Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition: Effect of Feeding Yogurt versus Milk in Children with Diarrhea
- MayoClinic.com: Acidophilus
- International Journal of Obesity: Dairy Augmentation of Total and Central Fat Loss in Obese Subjects
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin D
- Fresh yogurt on a white background image by Julien BASTIDE from Fotolia.com