Greek Yogurt benefits includes supporting weight loss, promoting feminine health, keeping the intestinal system healthy, regulating blood pressure, increasing bone density, boosting immunity, aiding digestive system and promoting thyroid function. Other benefits includes supporting blood production, supporting muscle growth, preserving oral health and improving mood.
Greek yogurt stands yards above the competition when it comes to healthy snacking, and is finding its way into many mainstream recipes as well. We all know even regular yogurt is loaded to the brim with health benefits, but it usually contains more sugar than we would like. Enter Greek yogurt- a yogurt which has undergone further refining to remove greater water content, and leave a creamy, sugar reduced version. This also leaves more nutrients in a smaller volume of yogurt, explaining why Greek yogurt is considerably more nutritious. Ready to learn how your health can benefit from eating more Greek yogurt? Then let’s go!
Nutritional Value of Greek Yogurt
Here is a chart showing the nutritional value of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt per 100 grams:
Nutrient | Amount per 100g |
---|---|
Calories | 59 kcal |
Water | 87.33 g |
Protein | 10.19 g |
Total Fat | 0.39 g |
Saturated Fat | 0.10 g |
Monounsaturated Fat | 0.07 g |
Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.01 g |
Carbohydrates | 3.60 g |
Sugars | 3.56 g |
Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
Vitamin C | 0 mg |
Vitamin A | 4 µg (0% DV) |
Vitamin D | 0 µg |
Calcium | 110 mg (11% DV) |
Iron | 0.04 mg (0% DV) |
Magnesium | 11 mg (3% DV) |
Phosphorus | 135 mg (19% DV) |
Potassium | 141 mg (3% DV) |
Sodium | 36 mg (2% DV) |
- Note: Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Greek yogurt is high in protein, making it an excellent source for those looking to boost their protein intake. It is low in fat and carbohydrates while providing essential minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Its thicker texture and higher protein content come from straining, which removes some of the whey and lactose.
13 Impressive Health Benefits of Greek Yogurt
1. Help You Lose Weight
In order to lose weight, it requires a concerted effort on the dietary and exercise fronts. You cannot merely exercise and expect to lose weight, as diet has a much more powerful influence over your weight. But luckily, Greek yogurt can help you out here. Greek yogurt contains almost twice the amount of protein found in standard protein, and significantly less sugar, which means that not only will you feel satisfied for a longer time (appetite suppression), but also because protein possesses a higher thermic effect than any other macronutrient. So, if you consume 200 calories from protein, after processing, your body nets only 160 calories. This explains why high protein eating is an effective strategy for weight loss.
2. Promotes Feminine Health
Yeast infections appear to be a constant scourge if you’re a woman, and become much worse if your immune system is suppressed for any reason, such as after using anti-biotics. Yeast infections are caused by the fungus candida, which lives naturally in women’s vaginal tracts, but are opportunistic in nature. This opportunity usually occurs when the good bacteria residing in our gut and even the vagina become wiped out. However, Greek yogurt contains a high quantity of probiotic bacteria, which is essential for the wellbeing of your natural flora. They also exert a limiting effect on these yeast, so that such infections do not flare up very often.
3. Keeps The Intestinal System Healthy
Similar to how Greek yogurt helps prevent yeast infections, they also promote digestive health. Digestive bacteria are responsible for assisting with digestion, and produce waste as a result. If these cultures are insufficient, digestive disturbances can occur. It is not uncommon for someone with very poor probiotic cultures to suffer from malnutrition, as nutrients will have a very hard time getting absorbed, as well as suffering from frequent diarrhea as the food will constantly exit soon after ingestion. It is important to keep the cultures well stocked and in good shape, as these little bacteria do lots for your health.
4. Helps Regulate Blood Pressure
High sodium intake is frequently the most common cause of high blood pressure, which may occur with a simultaneous deficiency of other minerals. Greek yogurt supplies some of these blood pressure regulating minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and calcium, which help in one way or the other to balance electrolyte concentrations, or make blood vessels more pliable to relaxation (vasodilation).
5. Increases Bone Density
Greek yogurt contains most of the essential bone building nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and Vitamin D. if you dislike drinking milk, but enjoy the taste of Greek yogurt, you’re in luck, as it supplies the above mentioned nutrients in fair quantities. These nutrients become even more important as we age, and more so if you’re a woman. Osteoporosis has a strong genetic link, but deficiency in these key nutrients also plays their part.
6. Boosts Immunity
Though not containing many of the typical immune boosting anti-oxidants, Greek yogurt still enhances immunity thanks to its Vitamin D content, and of course the probiotics. Many refer to the gut as where the real immune system lies, as arguably it has a massive surface area for so much to go wrong. Probiotics offer support in the way of an increased number of white blood cells to fight off possible invading pathogens.
7. Helps Digestive System
One of the big surprises when it comes to Greek Yogurt is that it is even suitable for those with lactose intolerance, thanks to the unique way the probiotic culture digest it. In the process, less sugar remains in it, making it easily digestible to the majority of people. This can come in useful if recovering from surgery, as it is digestive friendly and helps to repopulate the intestines with the necessary good bacteria.
8. Promotes Thyroid Function
A little known fact is that Greek yogurt is rich in iodine, a trace mineral that most associate with seafood. If you dislike seafood, however, you’re in luck, as Greek yogurt can be a suitable alternative. Iodine is necessary for supporting healthy metabolic function, helping you keep the weight off as well.
9. Help Buffer Effect Of Excessive Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is a hormone associated with stress, bringing about numerous ill effects ranging from high blood pressure to fat retention and more. Calcium can reduce the negative impact of too much cortisol, as it helps with blood vessel relaxation and also prevents excessive fat storage. This is why calcium is advised when trying to lose weight or to support normal blood pressure.
10. Can Help With Blood Building
Blood building requires more than just iron, which is why many people trying to improve their blood counts fail to do so. Among the many other co-factors requires is vitamin B-12, which is found in Greek yogurt. Vegetarians have a harder time getting enough B-12 in their diet, but if it allows, consumption of this yogurt can help offset any possible deficiencies.
11. Supports Muscle Growth
Protein is absolutely essential if trying to gain muscle mass, but can become a chore to get if all you have to rely on is meat. Little substitutes can go a long way, with Greek yogurt being an excellent choice. It can be consumed at any time during the day, even around the workout period, and before bed. Yogurt contains both whey and casein protein, supplying a mix of fast and slow digesting amino nutrition.
12. Can Help Preserve Oral Health
While calcium is known to be beneficial on bones and teeth, it is a lesser known fact that probiotics can help keep gums healthy. Consumption of Greek yogurt can reduce the development of cancer sores, and if they do develop, they resolve much faster. The lower sugar content is also ideal as sugar promotes tooth decay.
13. Can Improve Your Mood
This one is strange, but makes perfect sense on a scientific level. Our gut has a nerve known as the Vagus, which tends to directly relay signals from the gut to the brain, and vice versa. This explains why anxiety can result in nervous stomach, but also how yogurt can improve your wellbeing. By decreasing the incidence of you experiencing intestinal disorders, and even buffering the effect of cortisol, this nerve is able to transmit to the brain that calm has been achieved. In response, the brain produces more serotonin and calms itself. All from making your gut happy. Thanks Greek yogurt!