The yogurt lover’s yogurt guide
An ancient food
Yogurt-making is an ancient tradition that dates back at least four thousand years and might pre-date recorded history. According to legend, an angel taught Abraham how to make fermented milk.
Yogurt was probably first used somewhere in the Middle East, where, according to another tale, it was discovered by a hungry nomad who’d packed milk in a goatskin bag while traveling by camel across the desert. When he later opened the bag, which had been warmed by the hot sun, he found a thick, tart custard inside.
What exactly is yogurt?
Yogurt is milk with bacteria added to it. These bacteria feed on milk sugar (lactose), which produces lactic acid and gives yogurt its tangy taste. Here in North America, most yogurt is made from cow’s milk. Elsewhere, yogurt is made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, yaks, and other animals.
Even among cow milk yogurts, there are vast differences. Some manufacturers add gels, thickeners, and tons of sugar. Some companies “post-pasteurize” their yogurts to prolong its shelf life, but this kills off the live active cultures and eliminates their health benefits.
The perfect food
People have credited yogurt with treating or preventing everything from dysentery, constipation, and stomach ulcers to arthritis, vaginal infections, and canker sores. Science hasn’t verified all these claims, but does support many.
Yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, riboflavin, phosphorus, and magnesium. It’s also low in lactose and allows many lactose-intolerant people to get milk’s nutritional benefits without digestion problems.
Regularly eating yogurt with live active cultures contributes to a healthy intestine and can therefore enhance digestive and immune health. Yogurt can be especially helpful to people on antibiotics. Antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria in the intestines, and eating yogurt can help restore those bacteria.
Women in particular may benefit from eating yogurt when on antibiotics, since destruction of the normal flora can result in vaginal yeast infections. Yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus (like our yogurt) can reduce or eliminate the occurrence of yeast infections.
Because yogurt bacteria provide a head start to digestion, it takes only one hour for your body to assimilate 90% of the yogurt you eat. This time compares favorably with the three hours it takes to digest milk. Quick and easy digestibility is especially important for the elderly and infants.
