Yogurt to Help Lower Cholesterol
Although cholesterol is necessary for the production of hormones, bile acid and vitamin D, too much LDL (bad) cholesterol can spell disaster. High cholesterol can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries ) and heart attacks. A high intake of saturated fats and foods rich in cholesterol can raise bad cholesterol. To keep a good lipid profile (reading of good and bad cholesterol), it is essential to reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Good cholesterol, in turn, reduces bad cholesterol.
Why Yogurt?
Various studies have pointed out the health benefits of yogurt, from fighting gum diseases to promoting colon health. A clinical trial involving 29 women who ate 300 grams of full-fat yogurt product daily for 21 weeks showed a significant 38 percent increase in , according to bastyrcenter.org. The report, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, goes on to say that when these same women took a yogurt enhanced with probiotics (which supply good live bacteria to the gastrointestinal tract) and prebiotics (which provide food for good microorganisms), the good cholesterol went up even more.
How do probiotics do their job? There are two ways, according to medicinalfoodnews.com: "Does Yogurt Reduce Cholesterol Levels?" As probiotics pass through the lower intestines, they ferment and produce compounds called short chain fatty acids. One particular SCFA, namely propionic acid, has been shown to decrease cholesterol synthesis in the liver, thereby reducing the amount of cholesterol in the blood. The article also pointed out that some probiotics have the ability to break down bile acids, crippling their ability to absorb cholesterol. This, in turn, reduces cholesterol.
Yogurt in Your Diet
How do you include yogurt in your diet to improve heart health? There are many ways. Because yogurt is delicious, it can be eaten on its own. You can dress it up with fresh fruits, whole-grain cereals or nuts for even more health-giving benefits. Yogurt is commonly used to make milk-based smoothies. Instead of high-saturated fats (cream cheese, heavy cream, mayonnaise) used in dips, use yogurt.
Yogurt can be used in desserts such as parfaits. Yogurt is also often used in Indian curries and in marinades. For picky eaters, Sciencedaily.com reported that a University of Brigham Young University food scientist, Dr. Lynn Ogen, even created a carbonated version of yogurt.
Picking the Right Yogurt
Not all yogurts are the same--some are better than others. Because yogurt is basically made up of probiotics and milk, read the labels to make sure that these are the two main ingredients, not a long list of fillers like artificial colorings or sweeteners. Look for these live bacteria in the yogurt: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, even bifido bacteria. For these bacteria to be effective and to survive as they pass through the stomach, medicinalfoodnews.com suggests that the product should have at least 10 x 7 bacteria/gram.
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