Greek yogurt benefits and uses

Many people tend to snack between main meals. 

Yogurt is one of the best healthy foods with great nutritional value to make a good snack. There are many types of yogurt in the store, but many people prefer it over the rest.

So why do some people prefer Greek yogurt over others? Let's learn about Greek yogurt benefits and uses of benefits and what is the difference between it and regular yogurt?

The difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt

In general, both Greek yogurt and regular yogurt contain the same ingredients, which is fresh milk as well as some types of beneficial bacteria, such as Streptococcus Theophilus and Lactobacillus Bulgarians, but they differ in the method of preparation:

Plain Yogurt: Made by heating milk and adding beneficial bacteria, then letting the milk ferment to an acidity pH (PH 4.5) so it may taste slightly sour when eaten.

Greek Yogurt: Made by removing the whey and other liquids from regular yogurt, this reduces the overall volume of the yogurt and takes more milk to make, so it's thicker than regular yogurt. 

With the difference in manufacturing, the nutritional value varies, as Greek yogurt contains twice the amount of protein and almost half the amount of carbohydrates and sugar found in regular yogurt, and then we will talk about the nutritional value of Greek yogurt.

The nutritional value of Greek yogurt

When whey is removed from Greek yogurt, some lactose is removed; This reduces the total carbohydrate and sugar content, but the protein remains intact; 

Therefore, Greek yogurt provides more protein. Additionally, Greek yogurt is an important source of:

Magnesium: This helps in many processes within the body, such as muscle movement, formation of proteins, and regulation of the nervous system.

Vitamin B12: It is one of the most important vitamins that the body cannot manufacture, and it helps prevent anemia, prevent osteoporosis, and reduce depression.

Iodine: Important during pregnancy. Because it helps the development of the nervous system of the fetus during pregnancy.

Greekyogurt benefits

Eating Greek yogurt is good for health because it contains important nutrients for the body, which help in the following:.

Reduce the risk of osteoporosis and maintain bone health; It contains calcium and protein.

Reduce the feeling of hunger and reduce weight; Because it contains protein, some studies have found that people eat less throughout the day after eating a protein-rich meal, and this leads to overall lower calories consumption, which is one of the benefits of Greek yogurt for weight loss.

Restore a healthy bacterial balance inside the stomach; Because they contain probiotic bacteria, but some recent studies have indicated a discrepancy in people's response to this type of bacteria.

Maintain good mental health. A study found that workers who ate about 100 grams of yogurt containing probiotic bacteria experienced less anxiety, depression, and stress than those who didn't. This may be due to the gut's ability to make neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine.

Lowering blood pressure, but this is not conclusive, studies have found that there is an effect of Greek yogurt containing probiotic bacteria in lowering blood pressure, but other studies have found that those who are overweight do not affect their blood pressure.

Reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, as researchers in a study found that eating yogurt with no other dairy products helps reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes.

Use Greek yogurt

There are many uses for Greek yogurt in eating, including:

• It is a great ingredient for sauces and dips as well as meals.
• It can be used as a substitute for mayonnaise in some recipes.
• It can be added to soups as a substitute for cream.
• It can be spread on bread instead of butter.
• It can be eaten with fruits or honey, which gives a better taste and higher nutritional value, and one of the benefits of Greek yogurt with honey is that it maintains youthful skin and prevents the appearance of wrinkles.

Possible side effects of Greek yogurt

In the previous paragraphs, we talked about the benefits and uses of Greek yogurt, but on the other hand, some harms must be taken into account as well, including:

It may cause infections in some people who are lactose intolerant.

Hormonal imbalance, as some dairy systems use additional growth hormones to increase milk production from cows.

Additionally, dairy products naturally contain hormones, and this may cause hormonal imbalances.

The possibility of acne is due to the presence of casein protein, which is the predominant protein in dairy products.

People who are sensitive to gluten may have autoimmune diseases.

It may cause weight gain because some people tend to put sugar on it because of its sour taste, in addition to removing the natural fats from dairy products, this means the need to use other additives to give the yogurt an attractive taste and texture that some may find. As one of the benefits of Greek yogurt for weight gain.

In the end, whatever you prefer, a plain yogurt with more calcium and more sugar and carbs, or Greek yogurt with more protein, sugar, and carbs, you should eat yogurt regularly because it helps in digestion, weight loss, bone health, and the body in general.