Yogurt is one of the healthiest dairy products; one can ever have to stay focused on his diet and maintain health. Young kids love to have yogurt and why not? Yogurt has a yummy taste, as well as it serves a variety of benefits. A type of yogurt that can result to be beneficial for you is the Greek yogurt or the strained yogurt.
It is also known as yogurt cheese or sack yogurt in many regions across the world. The benefits of Greek yogurt are countless and have a lot of advantages for the human body.
The category of Greek yogurt experienced a sudden and fantastic growth in the United States, counting from the past few years. The dollar sales of Greek yogurt reached up to the amount of about 3.7 billion U.S. dollars in the year 2015 and had a score of 391 million U.S. dollars in the year 2010. The leading producer companies in the market of yogurt include General Mills, Chobani, and Danone.
You can find Greek yogurt in North America, and it is famous by the name of Greek-Style Yogurt in Britain. Some of the cuisines share a lot of dishes which include a sweet and savory taste.
Greek Yogurt replenishes the requirement of such meals and provides an incredible flavor to the recipe. You can enjoy it by consuming it in raw form. Moreover, you can also prepare this kind of yogurt at your place, just by arranging an appropriate temperature.
Greek Yogurt is not like any other plain yogurt available; it consists of plenty of nutrients and can treat many of the problems, whether mental or physical. It has more density and consistency than regular yogurt. The thickness of the yogurt is pretty good. You cannot pour the Greek yogurt, just like you do with the plain or regular one.
It appears to be nearly solid and has a similar texture of white cheese. It is the main difference between the regular yogurt(1) and Greek yogurt, the first one strained, while the latter one is.
The process of preparation of Greek yogurt matches like that of the conventional method. Though, it has a unique approach to make it gain its consistency. Follow the exact purpose of extraction of yogurt from milk, and then choose a mesh cloth to obtain the dense part of the yogurt. Do not eliminate all the moisture and leave a little amount of liquid content.
Whey the contents from the cloth, and slowly try to drain the liquid from the mesh accordingly, to attain the suitable thickness of the yogurt. A little amount of original sourness sustains in it, and the whole process manages to add appropriate density to Greek yogurt.
[Read: Benefits of Yogurt]
The nutritional value of the Greek yogurt is quite high and serves great benefits to the body. It comprises of many essential nutrients that play a role in enhancing all the metabolisms of the body. The nutritional chart given below represents the 2,000-calorie diet as per the daily percentage requirement of the body. The nutrition chart of Greek yogurt is
| Total Calories | 59 |
| Fats | 0.4 g |
| Cholesterol | 5 mg |
| Sodium | 36 mg |
| Potassium | 141 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 3.6 g |
| Dietary fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 3.2 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Vitamin A | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0% |
| Calcium | 11% |
| Iron | 0% |
| Vitamin D | 0% |
| Vitamin B-6 | 5% |
| Cobalamin | 13% |
| Magnesium | 2% |
The value of these nutrients changes as per the requirement of calories of different individuals. The taken amount is according to 100 gm.
The benefits of Greek yogurt are
Since Greek yogurt is full of calcium and proteins, it can increase your bone density and maintain bone health. Due to its rich nutrients(2), it can save you from the risk of osteoporosis.
[Read: Home Remedies for Osteoporosis]
It will enhance the protein content in your diet, which acts as an essential supplement for the growth of tissues and muscles. This will increase your appetite and reduce the constant hunger pangs, promoting effective weight loss.
Researchers say that Greek yogurt increases the metabolic rate of the body’s functions, because of the presence of good fats, high proteins, and limited carbs.
The probiotics present in the Greek yogurt facilitates the digestion of food, with proper absorption of nutrients.
Research shows that Greek yogurt also maintains mental health by reducing the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression by regulating serotonin(3) and dopamine.
The protein-rich diet tends to increase the mass of muscles and tissues effectively by ensuring the proper circulation of blood.
It is beneficial for people who suffer from high blood pressure and reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems.
[Also Read: Reduce Blood Pressure Naturally]
It affects the breakdown of sugar in our body and reduces the risk of diabetes and their symptoms.
The anti-oxidants, and limited amounts of carbohydrates and healthy fats eases the processes of weight losing activities efficiently.
[Also Read: Yogurt for Weight Loss]
It helps in controlling the thyroid hormone in the body and regulates its operation without causing any problematic effects.
Here are few delicious recipes related to Greek yogurt, that will cater to most of the nutritious requirements of your body.
The possible side effects of Greek yogurt are very less. As long as you take care of some smaller ones, there are minimum chances of getting affected by the side effects.
The precautions that you need to undertake are–
You can find Greek yogurt easily at any of your nearest departmental or grocery store. It’s also available in many fruity flavors. Greek Yogurt has few side effects. To attain most of the benefits of Greek yogurt, one must ensure to pick the right yogurt while buying and also try out the simple recipes of Greek yogurt and consume a healthy and nutritious diet.