Yogurts are recommended for a balanced diet, however some should be avoided because of their sugar and salt content.
- Not all yogurts are good for your health.
- You should avoid drinking, low-fat or fruit yogurts, which are often too sweet.
- Regular consumption of these types of products can lead to health problems.
By inspecting the size of the yogurt sections in supermarkets, we understand that it is a popular product among the French. Indeed, it is only the Dutch who consume more than the French (about 185 per year compared to 165).
However, if they are known to be health allies particularly thanks to their content of proteins, vitamins and good bacteria, we often forget that yogurts are not all equal and that they must be chosen carefully to benefit from their qualities.
Yogurt: many health benefits
Yogurt is a dairy product made by milk fermented by bacteria. These bacteria ferment lactose, a natural sugar found in milk, to produce lactic acid.
Yogurt is best known for its protein content which contributes to metabolism by increasing energy expenditure, that is to say the number of calories we burn daily.
The calcium in yogurt is also helpful for healthy teeth and bones. A single serving can cover up to 49% of daily needs.
Yogurt has also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis and that it helped manage his weight.
Finally, certain types of yogurt contain bacteria (probiotics) whose consumption can have many beneficial effects on overall health.
Some types of yogurt may be bad for your health
But you have to be careful with certain yogurts. A simple glance at the labels is generally enough to realize that drinking yogurts, although practical and often appreciated by children, are nonetheless enemies of health.
Indeed, they often contain a lot of sugar and some are even high in salt, which can cause water retention and increased blood pressure.
Likewise, low-fat yogurts should be avoided. Indeed, 0% yogurts containing sweeteners could increase long-term cardiovascular risks, according to a French study from theInserm recalling that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide.
Finally, fruit yogurts are often far from being good for your health: “Fruit yogurts are “too sweet” “”, underlines the dietitian nutritionist Pauline Pied dans West France : “There is no fruit in fruit yogurt. It is best to eat plain yogurt mixed with cut up fruit to ensure you are not eating too much sugar.”.
