Yoghurt or yogurt which is also known as sour milk is the result from the fermentation of milk. Yogurt is a probiotic food which means food that contains bacteria. Based on some research Yogurt has many benefits for human health. The history of yogurt as healthy drink began when E. Metchnikoff made a hypothesis. He found that there is a relationship between the longevity and the habit of consuming fermented milk in Bulgaria mountain society. Although the empirical data are still limited, the hypothesis is considered attractive to be studied. Finally, Yogurt health benefits revealed and Metchnikoff received the Nobel Prize, and since then fermented milk products continued to be developed and investigated. In some countries, yogurt named with different names, for example Jugurt (Turkey), Zabady (Egypt, Sudan), Dahee (India), Cieddu (Italy), and Filmjolk (Scandinavia). Countries with high consumption of yogurt, including Dutch, Swiss, French, Finnish, Danish, German, Austria, and Japan.
About Yogurt compositions, the most common probiotic in yogurt is lactic acid bacteria including Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus themophilus, and Lactobacillus casei. For the nutrition facts, yogurt is a rich-nutrients food, it has similar nutritional composition like milk and even some components such as vitamin B complex, calcium, and protein are relatively high. During the fermentation, there is a synthesis process of vitamin B complex, especially thiamin (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2), and also amino acids. It is clear that some nutrients are important to improve the condition of the body and to prevent certain diseases. Thus, the yogurt-making is not without reason, Yogurt health benefits and the nutrients found in yoghurt are the reason why we need to consume yogurt.
Health Benefits of Yogurt
1. Helping people with lactose intolerance
Fermented milk drinks such as yogurt are recommended for the enzyme deficiency. Lactic acid bacteria can ferment lactose in milk into glucose and galactose, and stimulate the secretion of the enzyme lactase in the digestive tract.
2. Anti-diarrhea
Yoghurt may prevent the activity and the growth of pathogenic bacteria that causing diarrhea. Lactobacillus bulgaricus (a bacterium that plays a role in the formation of yogurt) can produce bulgarican (an effective antimicrobial to inhibit pathogenic organisms).
3. Inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria
Lactic acid can reduce or kill the bacterial pathogens (disease-causing bacteria) and suppress the production of dangerous compounds, such as amin, phenol, skatol, and H2S which produced by bacterial pathogens. Lactic acid-producing bacteria also produce antibiotics that can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, the yogurt has a value of treatment of stomach and intestinal injury.
4. Anticancer
Research on rats showed a doubling of cancer cells in mice that were fed with yogurt is more constrained than mice without the yogurt. The bacteria that involved in fermentation of milk may change precarsinogenic substances that are present in the digestive tract, thus the bacteria can inhibit the occurrence of cancer.
5. Good for the digestive tract.
Lactic acid from the yogurt may stimulate the peristaltic movement in nearly all parts of the digestive tract. Stimulation of the peristaltic movements can maintain the body’s health through improved digestion, absorption, feces disposal, and disposal of pathogenic bacteria from the digestive tract.
6. Enhance growth.
The research on mice shows that living bacteria in yogurt, especially Streptococcus thermophilus, have the ability to increase the mouse weight, by enhancing digestion system and absorption in the digestive tract.
7. Consuming yogurt can lower blood cholesterol levels.
Yogurt contains factors that can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol so that cholesterol levels dropped and prevents clogging of atherosclerosis blood vessels that causing coronary heart disease.
Sources : adapted from various sources articles
Have anyone experienced with this healthy drink? Please share your thought about yogurt and its health benefits on comment section.
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