| One of the most important aspects of yogurt as | | | | digestive tract. Indeed, probiotics affect all |
| a health benefit is the synergy of two | | | | surfaces of the body that have interaction with |
| health-promoting substances it provides: prebiotics | | | | the external world, including nasal passages, the |
| and probiotics. | | | | gastrointestinal tract, the skin and so forth. |
| Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that | | | | There's some evidence that babies who are |
| beneficially affect the gut by selectively stimulating | | | | exposed to probiotics (after the age of three |
| the growth and/or activity of one or more | | | | months) will have a better chance of avoiding |
| beneficial bacteria in the colon, thus improving | | | | some allergies later in life. |
| health. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are one of | | | | Some people cannot tolerate milk because they |
| the many classes of probiotics and they're found | | | | lack the enzyme to break down milk sugar |
| in legumes, vegetables, and cereals as well as | | | | (lactose). In fact, only about a quarter of the |
| yogurt. These non-absorbed fibres inhibit | | | | world's adults can digest milk. This condition |
| potentially pathogenic organisms as well as | | | | eliminates an important source calcium from the |
| increase the absorption of minerals such as | | | | diet. Probiotics in yogurt digest the lactose for |
| calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. | | | | you, thus helping to relieve this condition. Yogurt is |
| Probiotics are defined as live micro-organisms | | | | also a calcium- and vitamin-rich food that's easily |
| that, when taken in adequate amounts, can be of | | | | digestible by those who suffer from lactose |
| benefit to our health. The evidence for the role of | | | | intolerance and is therefore an excellent addition |
| prebiotics and probiotics in promoting health and | | | | to their diet. |
| fighting disease is increasing on a monthly basis | | | | Probiotics help regulate the body's inflammatory |
| and is now supported by many double-blind, | | | | response, which relieves the symptoms of |
| placebo-controlled human trials. What used to be | | | | Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The probiotics |
| folklore has become scientific fact. This mounting | | | | in yogurt have been accepted as a form of |
| body of very recent news simply confirms | | | | therapy that can actually help maintain remission in |
| ancient wisdom. | | | | people suffering from IBD. A 2003 review of |
| Like all of the Superfoods, yogurt works | | | | human studies on probiotics concluded that 'the |
| synergistically to promote health and fight disease: | | | | use of probiotics in IBD clearly will not provide a |
| it provides a range of health benefits that include | | | | magical cure, but it does offer hope as an adjunct |
| live active cultures, protein, calcium, and B | | | | form of therapy, specifically in maintaining a state |
| vitamins, which work together in such a way that | | | | of remission." |
| the sum is greater than the parts. Yogurt's | | | | Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Probiotics alter |
| primary benefit-as a probiotic-is something that at | | | | both the populations and the activities of the |
| first glance runs counter to the trend in modern | | | | microflora in our gastrointestinal systems, possibly |
| medicine. With the success of antibiotics beginning | | | | relieving the symptoms of IBS, though probiotics |
| shortly after World War II, doctors and the public | | | | may prove to be more effective in prevention |
| have come to view micro-organisms as evil | | | | than in effecting a cure. |
| disease-promoters, which must be relentlessly | | | | For hypertension, probiotics stimulate the |
| eradicated. In fact, however, the key to health is | | | | production of drug like substances that act in the |
| balance: the goal is not to eradicate all | | | | body like pharmacological blood-pressure-lowering |
| micro-organisms, but rather to promote the | | | | medicines. |
| health of the beneficial ones. Yogurt plays a | | | | Over thirty years ago, scientists were intrigued to |
| primary role in this promotion by encouraging the | | | | find that the Masai tribesmen of Africa had low |
| growth of "good" bacteria and limiting the | | | | serum levels of cholesterol as well as low levels |
| proliferation of 'bad" ones. | | | | of coronary heart disease, despite a diet that was |
| Yogurt has multiple immune stimulating properties | | | | extremely high in meat. The distinguishing |
| both inside and outside the gastrointestinal (Gl) | | | | characteristic of their diets, aside from high meat |
| tract. An interesting study has shown that if you | | | | consumption, was an extremely high intake of |
| eat yogurt with live active cultures, you decrease | | | | fermented milk (or yogurt)-up to 5 liters daily. |
| the amount of a common pathogenic bacterium - | | | | Research has now confirmed that yogurt is |
| Staphylococcus aureus - in the nasal passages. | | | | beneficial to those trying to reduce cholesterol. |
| This is a clear sign that the yogurt is stimulating | | | | The probiotics in yogurt reduce the bile acids, |
| the immune system. | | | | which in turn decrease the absorption of |
| Our gastrointestinal tracts are home to over five | | | | cholesterol from the gastrointestinal tract. This |
| hundred species of bacteria-some helpful and | | | | effect seems to be seen most reliably in people |
| some harmful to our health. We rely on these | | | | who already have elevated cholesterol. |
| beneficial microbial partners for a number of | | | | Yogurt even helps with ulcers. Probiotics help to |
| important functions, including carbohydrate | | | | eliminate the pathogen Helicobacter pylori, a |
| metabolism, amino acid synthesis, vitamin K | | | | bacterium that is one of the main causes of |
| synthesis, and the processing of various nutrients. | | | | ulcers and may also be a cause of gastric cancer. |
| Yogurt is a source of beneficial bacteria, and the | | | | Yogurt has potential benefit in relieving what, in |
| positive results that are ascribed to introducing | | | | many countries around the world, is a serious |
| this bacteria to our system are not relegated to | | | | threat to the health of millions; Diarrhea. It fights |
| the digestive tract. | | | | diarrhea by stimulating the immune system, |
| While a host of beneficial health effects are linked | | | | crowding out negative microflora in the intestines |
| to yogurt, those that have attracted the most | | | | and stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria. |
| attention include its anti-cancer properties, its | | | | Probiotics in yogurt are also helpful in treating |
| ability to lower cholesterol, and its ability to inhibit | | | | diarrhea associated with antibiotic use, and some |
| unfriendly bacteria. | | | | doctors are amazed that yogurt is not routinely |
| One of the great benefits of the probiotics in | | | | recommended to all patients who are being |
| yogurt is its ability to strengthen the immune | | | | treated with antibiotics. |
| system and thereby help the body prevent | | | | Most people are surprised to learn that in the |
| infection. In an era of antibiotic-resistant | | | | United States, nine out of ten women and seven |
| pathogens and seemingly new infectious threats | | | | out of ten men don't meet their daily requirement |
| like SARS and West Nile virus, the value of | | | | for calcium. What's even more troubling is that |
| boosting one's immune system becomes | | | | nearly 90 percent of teenage girls and 70 percent |
| immeasurable. | | | | of teenage boys don't meet their daily calcium |
| There are three basic types of yogurt, depending | | | | requirement. For many, soda has replaced the old |
| on the milk used to make it: regular yogurt, | | | | "milk at every meal" custom. This portends |
| low-fat yogurt, and non-fat yogurt. Yogurt made | | | | disastrous future health consequences for large |
| from whole milk has at least 3.25 percent milk fat. | | | | numbers of people. A single 1-cup serving of |
| Low-fat yogurt is made from low-fat milk or | | | | nonfat plain yogurt supplies 414 milligrams of |
| part-skim milk and has between 0.5 and 2 percent | | | | calcium-an amazing 40 percent of your daily |
| milk fat. Non-fat yogurt is made from skim milk | | | | calcium needs and at a cost of only 100 calories. |
| and contains less than 0.5 percent milk fat. | | | | This compares favorably with nonfat milk, which |
| Ultimately, it's yogurt's activity in the | | | | has only 300 milligrams of calcium. The rich |
| gastrointestinal tract that argues most | | | | amount of potassium in yogurt combined with the |
| conclusively for its inclusion as a Superfood. The | | | | calcium also plays a role in normalizing your blood |
| bottom line is that a healthy digestive system is | | | | pressure. |
| critical to good health. Our ability to absorb | | | | Yogurt is also a better source of B vitamins |
| nutrients from our food depends on our GI health. | | | | (including foliate), phosphorus, and potassium than |
| Even if we eat the most nutrient-dense foods in | | | | milk. Of course, the calcium in yogurt is of great |
| the world, if our digestive ability is impaired, we | | | | benefit to pre and postmenopausal women and to |
| won't be able to benefit from those foods. As we | | | | men and women in their struggle against |
| age, our digestive ability is often diminished. All the | | | | osteoporosis. A rich source of calcium to begin |
| more reason to rely on yogurt as a food that will | | | | with, the milk sugar in yogurt actually aids in |
| promote and help preserve intestinal health. | | | | calcium absorption. Moreover, dairy foods are a |
| The list of the health-promoting abilities of | | | | source of IGF-l, a growth factor that promotes |
| probiotics is quite long. Some benefits have been | | | | bone formation, which benefits women over and |
| proven conclusively while others require more | | | | above the bone-preserving contribution of calcium. |
| study. Here is a summary of the conditions where | | | | Yogurt is a great source of readily digestible |
| yogurt has efficacy: | | | | protein. In fact, yogurt supplies double the protein |
| Probiotics absorb mutagens that cause cancer, | | | | of milk because it's usually thickened with non-fat |
| particularly colon cancer, though there's also | | | | milk solids, increasing its protein content. Some |
| evidence that they're effective on breast cancer. | | | | people, particularly the elderly, just don't consume |
| They stimulate the immune system, partly by | | | | enough protein or calcium. Studies have shown |
| promoting immunoglobulin production, and help | | | | there's a positive association between protein |
| lower the risk for cancer by decreasing | | | | intake and bone-mineral density of older women |
| inflammation and inhibiting the growth of | | | | and men when they're supplemented with calcium. |
| cancer-causing intestinal microflora. | | | | The lesson: optimum bone health and prevention |
| Probiotics are helpful in alleviating atopic eczema | | | | of osteoporosis depend not just on calcium |
| and milk allergies. In relation to eczema, it's | | | | supplementation, but on sufficient protein intake |
| important to remember that probiotics work to | | | | as well. Yogurt, with its easily digestible protein |
| promote healthy skin as well as a healthy | | | | and calcium, is the answer. |