Review of Greek yogurt: the difference from the usual, the composition and 8 facts about the benefits
The method of cooking Greek yogurt differs from the classic one, which affects its composition, taste and effect on the human body.
There is an opinion that such yogurt is much healthier than usual.
Indeed, numerous studies confirm that the systematic use of Greek yogurt has a positive effect on the health of the cardiovascular, endocrine, digestive, nervous, immune and other systems of the human body.
In this article, we will look in detail at what Greek yogurt is, what benefits it brings to the body and how to avoid possible harm.
Content
What is Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt is a special type of yogurt that is filtered through a paper filter or cloth when cooked. As a result, whey is removed and the product acquires a consistency average between cottage cheese and regular yogurt, while maintaining its characteristic taste.
The product is a traditional dish of South Asian, Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Recently, it has been widely distributed around the world. Approximately every 4 years, the sales volume increases by 2 times.
In Russia, you can find an analogue of domestic production.
How does it differ from the usual one
Greek yogurt has a lot of characteristics peculiar only to it. Let's look at the main differences between traditional yogurt
and filtered:
- Thick consistency. After fermentation, liquid whey and lactose are removed from yogurt. As a result, it acquires a viscous consistency, which contains much more valuable nutrients. For this reason, Greek yogurt does not happen to be drinkable.
- Protein content. The Greek version has about 2 times more protein than the usual one. The consumption of fermented milk product provides the body with all valuable amino acids.
- Increased fat content. The removal of whey also leads to an increase in fat concentration. On average, all types of Greek yogurt contain 2.5-3 times more saturated fats. Overweight or obese people need to normalize the consumption of this fermented milk dessert, or choose a low-fat option.
- Low sodium content. Regular yogurt contains about 1.8-2 times more sodium.
- Low in carbohydrates. Greek yogurt has a low concentration of glucose, which affects the taste characteristics. Such qualities allow the product to be used by people with pathologies of the glycemic background (impaired glucose tolerance, fasting hyperglycemia).
- High cost. Complex production technology causes a 3-5-fold increase in cost. If the price of the Greek version does not differ much from the usual one, then it contains a lot of chemical additives (preservatives, sweeteners, etc.).
Before the filtration stage, the production technology has no fundamental differences.
Composition and caloric content (Table)
The average calorie content of Greek yogurt is 59 kcal per 100 grams.
The composition of nutrients per 100 grams of product is shown in the table:
| Total Fats | 5.0 g |
| Saturated Fats | 3.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 13 mg |
| Sodium | 47 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 3.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.0 g |
| Sugar | 3.0 g |
| Proteins | 7.0 g |
100 grams of the product also contains the following vitamins and macronutrients:
| Name | Percentage of daily value |
| Vitamin A | 3 % |
| Vitamin B12 | 8-10 % |
| Calcium | 7-15 % |
A natural product that does not contain chemical additives contains a lot of other nutrients.
The content of cultures of beneficial bacteria is at least 7-10*10 7 CFU/g.
How it is useful – 8 facts
8 proven beneficial properties of this fermented milk product are considered below.
1. Increasing the strength of bone tissue
Yogurt is rich in calcium (an important mineral that regulates metabolism in bone tissue) and protein (a structural component).
The use of the product has a beneficial effect on Bone health , reduces the risk of osteoporosis and other degenerative skeletal pathologies.
Calcium is also an essential macronutrient for muscle contractions and transmission of nerve impulses.
Systematic consumption of Greek yogurt increases muscle tone, improves microcirculation in them. This helps to maintain a systematic load on ligamentous apparatus and bone tissue.
2. Reducing appetite and helping to lose weight
Greek yogurt contains a significant amount of proteins that increase the feeling of satiety. As a result, within a few hours of eating dessert, a person eats less, which can have a positive effect on weight loss.
People who use yogurt in their daily diet consume 10-15% fewer calories.
One of the foreign studies revealed that diets with a high protein content lead to a decrease in body weight and a decrease in body fat (due to the utilization of lipocytes from fat depots and a decrease in cravings for food).
3. Activation of metabolism
According to American experts
, increased protein intake (at least 1.2-1.6 g/kg/day) significantly accelerates metabolism.
As a result, organs and tissues receive more nutrients. All nutrients are consumed correctly, and are not stored as fat.
4. Normalization of the digestive system
Like regular, Greek yogurt is a source of probiotics , that is, it contains &171;beneficial&187; bacteria.
Probiotics support Intestinal health . They contribute to the processes of adequate digestion of food, reduce the number of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria.
Against the background of the persistence of favorable flora, digestive disorders are much less common (abdominal pain, increased gas formation, stool disorders such as diarrhea or constipation, etc.).
Probiotics are not only Improve digestion , but they also have many other useful properties.
They also normalize the work of local and general factors of immunity , increase the body's resistance to various pathogens. People who regularly consume Greek yogurt and other fermented dairy products are less likely to suffer from pathologies such as acute respiratory viral infections, pneumonia, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
Probiotics, according to scientific data , facilitate the course of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (for example, irritable bowel syndrome), reduce the severity of digestive disorders. In addition, live cultures increase lactose tolerance.
5. Maintaining mental health
Many scientific studies show that eating yogurt enriched with probiotics has a beneficial effect on the emotional sphere.
Iranian scientists have found that while taking probiotic yogurt, there is a decrease in anxiety and stress , increased tolerance to mental stress.
Individual works are noted what Greek yogurt is capable of Boost your mood and interest in the world around us, which is extremely important in the presence of depressive disorders.
6. Gain muscle mass
Any protein-rich foods can not only maintain the anatomical integrity of all tissues in the body, but also accelerate the gain of muscle mass.
Scientific experiments demonstrate that a high-protein diet combined with exercise leads to a faster gain of muscle mass than a diet with normal or low levels of protein components.
7. Cardioprotective effect
One of the meta-analyses describes
that fermented milk products with probiotics contribute to lowering blood pressure in people suffering from hypertension or symptomatic hypertension.
The effect is realized by acting on the angiotensin converting enzyme (the effect is similar to ACE inhibitor drugs).
Other works note that yogurt is able to normalize the lipid profile, prevent the appearance and growth of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels .
8. Reducing the risk of developing type II diabetes
The active ingredients of Greek yogurt contribute to the normalization of the glycemic background (the product should be free of sugar).
American studies have found that the consumption of yogurt significantly reduces the risk of clinical manifestation of type II diabetes mellitus. The effects are realized by increasing the sensitivity of insulin receptors to insulin and stimulating the secretion of a number of hormonal substances.
In addition, the product slows down the development of diabetes mellitus due to blocking the main mechanisms of pathology formation.
Possible harm and contraindications
The only contraindication to the use of natural Greek yogurt is an allergy to milk components (casein).
The development of any other adverse reactions is associated with the addition of chemicals to the product (preservatives, sweeteners, flavor enhancers, formative substances, etc.).
How and with what it is eaten
There are many ways to use Greek yogurt. It is perfect as a breakfast or snack during a busy day. You can eat it at night.
The following options are also possible:
- Adding to any salads (instead of sour cream or mayonnaise).
- Fruit dessert. It goes perfectly with slices of bananas or blueberries.
- Filling for any soups (instead of cream).
- As an alternative to butter. Yogurt can be consumed with pieces of dried bread or with a cracker.
- Sauce for any dishes. The most common option is with pasta.
How to cook on your own
You can make Greek yogurt at home. This will require:
- 1 liter of milk (2.5% fat content);
- Special starter culture for yogurt (the volume is determined by the manufacturer's instructions).
The cooking scheme is as follows:
- Dissolve the starter culture in a small amount of milk and stir thoroughly. Then add the rest of the milk.
- Put the container with yogurt in the yogurt maker and start the cooking program. Alternatively, you can use a stainless-coated pan (you need to preheat the mixture to 40 degrees, wrap it tightly with a towel and leave it overnight).
- Put the resulting product in a colander, which is pre-covered with two layers of gauze cloth. In this condition, it is necessary to leave the future yogurt for about 3-4 hours so that the whey is removed on its own.
- Transfer to any bowl or jar. Greek yogurt is ready!
Conclusion
Thus, the systematic addition of Greek yogurt to the diet allows you to reduce body weight, correct disorders of the cardiovascular, endocrine and digestive systems, and maintain mental health. At the moment, hundreds of scientific studies are underway studying the properties of the product and its individual components.
