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How to choose the healthiest yogurt and how much can I eat per day
Nutrition
Nutritionists claim that the healthiest yogurts only contain two or three ingredients and advise checking the label for added sugars
Walking with the shopping basket in front of the cold rooms that house yogurts, fermented milks and dairy desserts can become a curious pastime. The variety of colors, sizes, shapes and advertising claims can provoke internal monologues like this one: «Today I take the one with seeds, which I liked the other day … No, better the one with mango and papaya, which is on sale … Or not, maybe Once the quinoa and plum pieces, which although it is more expensive, looks good. Or rather, I put all three in the basket and that’s it ». The truth is that many of the desserts that we qualify as “yogurt” are not actually yogurts. In fact, according to the legislation for it to be considered as a yogurt it has to be fermented by «streptococcus thermopilus» y «lactobacillus bulgaricus». The rest, that is, those that are fermented with other bacteria, cannot be called yogurts but rather “fermented milks” or “dairy desserts.”
Rich, what they say is rich, almost everyone is. But to choose the healthiest option, experts propose check the nutrition label and banish some myths around yogurt, such as the one that invites us to think that skimmed yogurts they are healthier than whole ones.
The first thing to check on the nutritional label is the list of ingredients. «This part is the only one that will tell us if it is a quality yogurt or if, on the contrary, it is far from what is actually a yogurt. The front of the product will be littered with advertising claims trying to get us to buy the product, but the ingredient list is where we really see the truth. A quality yogurt should only be listed on the ingredients list milk (whatever mammal it is) and lactic ferments», Says the dietician-nutritionist Sara Jiménez.
Dietitian-nutritionist María Giménez Ramos shares this opinion, who indicates that, optionally, they can include powdered milk or cream, as in the case of greek yogurts. As for other important aspects that must be reviewed in the nutritional composition, the expert advises that you have, maximum 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams of product. An amount that, he explains, would correspond to the natural sugar in yogurt, which is lactose.
But if what you want is to spin even finer, you can continue the 3-4-3 rule proposed by Marían García, doctor in Pharmacy and graduated in Nutrition and Dietetics and better known as Apothecary Garcia. For the expert, who recently participated in the podcast “Abecedario del Bienestar”, a good yogurt is one that follows this 3-4-3 rule, that is, it contains approximately 3% fat, 4% sugar and 3% protein.
For María Giménez a healthy yogurt It should not contain added sugars, or sweeteners, or colorings, or preservatives, or flavor enhancers. And no pieces of fruit or cereal. “If you don’t like the taste of natural unsweetened yogurt or it seems too acidic at first, you can add fruit, dark chocolate or nuts until you get used to its taste”, explains Giménez Ramos.
In short, as shared by Professor Iñaki Elío, Director of the Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the European University of the Atlantic, the healthiest yogurt in the supermarket would be natural yogurt, with no added sugar.
Are skimmed yogurts healthier?
The answer to this question is yes, but experts insist that it is not advisable to become obsessed with substituting whole yogurts for skimmed ones, as milk fat contains bioactive fatty acids important for health and other components such as bioactive phospholipids, which also does not have a negative influence on cardiovascular health, as Manuela Juárez, specialist in food technology and research professor ‘ad honorem’ at the CSIC, and member of the scientific committee of the interprofessional dairy INLAC, clarifies. In fact, as both Professor Elío and Professor Juárez agree, to date the consumption of whole dairy products has been associated through various scientific investigations to a lower rate of cardiovascular disease and mortality, as reflected in the PURE study (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology); and also to the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus, An less central obesity and even to the protection against overweight.
The benefits of yogurt
Yogurt is a source of proteins of high biological value, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals such as football and match. In addition, as highlighted by the dietician-nutritionist María Giménez, yogurt provides a higher digestibility y better absorption of nutrients with respect to milk, since fats, proteins and complex sugars are predigested by bacteria and transformed into simpler by-products such as fatty acids, amino acids and simple sugars. That’s why some lactose intolerant people Those who do not tolerate milk can consume yoghurts without having any problem, since the lactose is previously digested.
For her part, Professor Manuela Juárez emphasizes the fact that the football and match They can be found in yogurt in the soluble phase, which contributes to better absorption and that in addition yogurt contains a level of water-soluble vitamins such as thiamine and riboflavin comparable to that of milk and somewhat higher if we talk about folic acid. The same does not happen, of course, with B12, since yogurt implies a lower contribution than in the case of milk.
Yogurt also contains healthy live microorganisms ( probiotics), which stimulate the production of immunoglobins A, plasma cells and lymphocytes, which defend the body. «They improve the immune system by exerting a prebiotic effect (it serves as food for our intestinal bacteria) and probiotic (It provides beneficial bacteria that improve the intestinal microbiota and are related to the production of some enzymes and vitamins necessary for the proper functioning of the body) », explains María Giménez.
The probiotic action is especially interesting in the case of intestine, since the bifidobacilli and lactobacilli contained in yogurt help to reestablish the balance of the flora and promote intestinal transit.
How many yogurts can I eat per day
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium is between 800 and 1.000 mg, although this amount increases to 1.200 mg daily in both menopause and adolescence. This CDR can be achieved, according to Manuela Juárez, depending on the age and physical condition of each person, taking between 3 and 4 servings of dairy a day (An example would be to have two yogurts, one serving of milk and one serving of cheese).
A yogurt can provide 15-20% of the recommended daily amount of calcium, something that can be especially important for nursing mothers, women with menopause and those at risk of suffering osteoporosis.
The best and worst combinations with yogurt
Yogurt can be combined with any food, gastronomically speaking. However, as the dietician-nutritionist Sara Jiménez advises, the ideal thing is that we do not mix a dish rich in iron vegetable, such as legumes, with yogurts (or any dairy) so as not to hinder the absorption of iron.
For its great digestibility Yogurt can be taken as a dessert after meals or it can also be an option to consume between meals, as proposed by María Giménez.
To enrich it, you can add these options that the dietician-nutritionist proposes: fruits of any type but above all berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries …), due to its low calorie intake and large amount of vitamins and antioxidants; nuts such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc., to increase the amount of fiber, protein and healthy fats; seeds such as chia and flax, which provide great satiety and promote intestinal transit in people with constipation problems and dark chocolate (minimum 85%) and cinnamon to sweeten its flavor and add Antioxidants. “Adding cinnamon is also interesting in the case of diabetics because of its ability to reduce the glycemic index of food,” he adds.