Is Yogurt Healthy? All Myths in Check

Is yoghurt healthy? Supposedly the intestines are happy…

Probiotic, prebiotic, right-handed, left-handed – all buzzwords intended to emphasize the healthy properties of yoghurt for the intestines. These terms refer to the lactic acid bacteria contained in yoghurt or to indigestible carbohydrates such as fructose and lactose oligosaccharides. Both should ensure regulated digestion and strengthen the immune system.

• The problem: the yoghurt first has to pass through the acid bath in the stomach before it is eaten. Here, however, most of the healthy germs are already killed. As a rule, they do not even reach the intestines, so they cannot work there either.
• There are cultures of bacterial strains that survive this acid treatment unscathed and can therefore have a real effect on the intestine. Unfortunately, as a consumer, you cannot tell from the packaging which strains of bacteria are contained in the yoghurt.
• Left- or right-handed lactic acids are often emphasized by the manufacturer. This classification only hides the different physical properties of dextrorotatory and levorotatory lactic acid.
• For a healthy person it makes no difference, they can digest both lactic acids. However, the left-handed lactic acid is digested somewhat more slowly. That is why the right-hand one is considered more digestible.

Yoghurt and lactose intolerance don’t go together? – That’s not true

• Those who suffer from lactose intolerance usually avoid dairy products. Then, however, a calcium deficiency is inevitable, which can result in osteoporosis.
• Avoiding dairy products entirely is therefore not the way to go if you are lactose intolerant. Sour milk products such as yoghurt that have not been heat-treated are usually quite well tolerated.
• Yoghurt is therefore a good source of calcium, even for people who otherwise cannot tolerate dairy products.

Yoghurt doesn’t make you fat? – partially right

• Natural yoghurt without added sugar or other sweeteners does not make you fat. Our tip: make your own yoghurt.
• However, the shelves in supermarkets are full of different flavours of yoghurt. These have added sugar, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners. This is also reflected in the calorie count. You shouldn’t think of such yoghurts as healthy food, but rather as a dessert.
• If yoghurt contains the sweetener sucralose, it is best to leave it on the shelf. This substance kills probiotics. This means you have no chance of a few cultures passing through the stomach unscathed and releasing their effects in the intestine.
• If plain yoghurt alone is too bland for you, mix in fresh fruit to add more flavour. However, do without additional sweeteners if you want the yoghurt to be healthy.

Conclusion: natural yoghurt is healthy

• Natural yoghurt is a healthy food, if only because of its high calcium content.
• However, don’t expect miracles when you eat yoghurt. He cannot fulfil the advertised intestinal cleansing.
• However, a few bacterial cultures always make their way to the intestines – and they are actually useful there.
• Eat yoghurt for the sake of your health, avoid ready-made fruit yoghurt. It usually doesn’t have much in common with natural products.