Yogurt provides many health benefits. It is high in calcium, protein, vitamins, and probiotics. The probiotics in yogurt can help strengthen the immune system, improve digestion and colon health, and reduce infections. Yogurt may also help with weight loss, reduce blood pressure, and improve skin health. It can be consumed or applied topically. Yogurt is easy to digest and provides nutrients in a form that children and older adults can easily consume. Some recipes include mango lassi, raita cucumber salad, and yogurt cheese dessert.

1. Yogurt – The Wonder Food
By- Kadambini Choubey
Kolkata

2. YOGURT Nutrifacts-
• Yogurt is rich in potassium, calcium, protein and B vitamins,
including B-12
• Yogurt is easier to digest than milk
• Yogurt contributes to colon health
• Yoghurt strengthens and stabilizes the immune system
• Research shows women who eat 4 cups of yoghurt/week
have less vaginal and bladder infections
• The lactic acid of yoghurt is a perfect medium to maximize
calcium absorption
• Yogurt can be used as an effective douche

3. Yogurt as probiotic food
Yogurt is basically a probiotic food with live and active
cultures. It contains different kinds of bacteria that
are believed to be beneficial to your overall health.
Four major strains of bacteria to look for:
* Lactobacillus acidophilus,
* Lactobacillus bulgaricus,
* Streptococcus thermophilus, and
* Bifidobacteria

4. NUTRITIP
Yogurt - Good for Young and Old
• It is a balanced source of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and
minerals in a texture that kids love.
• For senior citizens, who usually have more sensitive colons or
whose intestines have run out of lactase, yogurt is a valuable
food.
• Declining levels of bifidus bacteria in oldage, allow the growth
of toxin-producing , perhaps, cancer-causing bacteria.

5. NUTRITIP
Yoghurt- A Chaser for Antibiotics
• Eating live-culture yoghurt is associated with higher-than-
average levels of gamma interferon, a key component of the
body's immune system.
• Yogurt can stimulate infection-fighting
white cells in the bloodstream.
• Live and active cultures in yogurt reduces
the amount of yeast colonies in the vagina and
decreases the incidence of vaginal yeast infections.

6. Yogurt - A rich source of calcium
An 225g serving of most yogurts provides 450 mg. of calcium,
one-half of a child's RDA and 30 to 40 percent of the adult
RDA for calcium.
Because the live-active cultures in yogurt increase the
absorption of calcium, an 225g serving of yogurt gets more
calcium into the body than the same volume of milk can.

7. Yogurt can give you flat abs
• When you eat yogurt, the calcium signals fat cells to pump out
less cortisol, making it easier for you to drop pounds, while
the amino acids help burn fat. Calcium appears to curb
production of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been
linked to the accumulation of abdominal fat.
• Yogurt binds bile acids, which has also been shown to lower
cholesterol.
• Consuming fat free Yoghurt helps reduce mid-section fat that
is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, stoke ,
diabetes and cancer.

8. NUTRITIP
Yogurt is a "grow food”
Two nutritional properties of yogurt may help children with
intestinal absorption problems grow, namely-
* The easier digestibility of the proteins.
* The fact that lactic acid in yogurt increases the absorption of
minerals. Yoghurt with fruits makes great post workout
meal.
Yogurt is a nutrient-dense food, loaded with bio-available
protein and calcium. Because babies, toddlers, and children
have tiny tummies, they don't often eat a lot at one time,
which is why feeding them nutrient-dense foods is important.

9. Yogurt prevents high blood pressure
• Every day 70 percent of us consume more than twice the
recommended amount of salt; over time that can lead to
hypertension and kidney and heart disease. The
potassium in yogurt, almost 600 milligrams per eight
ounces, may help flush some of the excess sodium out of
your body. In fact, adults in a study in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition who ate the most low-fat
dairy -- two or more servings daily -- were 54 percent less
likely to develop high blood pressure than those who ate
the least.

10. Yogurt- All-around beauty multi-tasker
Plain, organic yogurt when topically applied to the skin can do
beauty wonders and rejuvenate your skin and hair.
• Sunburn Relief
• Diminish pore size, fight acne and improve skin texture
• Moisturize and revive dull skin
• Reduce discoloration
• Prevent premature ageing
• Promotes hair growth

11. Yummy Yogurt Recipes
* The Weight Gain Shake-
1 ripe banana and/or 1 cup fruit of choice that is in season
1 cup plain yogurt
1 - 2 Tbsp ground up flax seeds OR flax seed oil
1 - 2 Tbsp ground up Milk Thistle seeds (nutritive for liver)
1 - 2 Tbsp black molasses or honey or real maple syrup
1 - 2 Tbsp raw sesame butter, other nut butter OR 1 cup ground up
raw organic nuts
2 tbsp of a high quality protein powder (contains free form amino
acids)
Add liquid to thin out (goat milk, cow milk, rice dream, almond milk,
coconut milk, caution with soy milk, or juice). Blend all together.

12. * Yogurt Cheese
Use plain yogurt. Line a fine-mesh colander with a
double-thick piece of cheesecloth. Place yoghurt on
top of cheesecloth and place colander over bowl (the
bowl must be as large as the colander because the
yoghurt will be dripping liquid). Allow yoghurt to drip
at least 6 hours (overnight or up to 12 hours). At end of
time, what's left in cheesecloth will be thick, luscious,
Yoghurt Cheese.
Use in place of cream cheese. If you want to make a
flavoured cream cheese, mix in your favourite
flavouring (such as fresh chives, dill, chilli peppers,
pimentos, or other combinations) either after your
cheese has been made or beforehand. Fruit-flavours
can also be used.

13. * Mango Lassi:
2 cups plain yoghurt, 2 medium mangoes (very
ripe), 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, 6 ice
cubes (from filtered water), 1/8 teaspoon rose
water.
Peel and slice mangoes. Put all ingredients in the
blender and blend at high speed. Serves 4 - 6.

14. *Raita - Cucumber and Yoghurt Salad
2 large cucumbers grated or sliced in rounds, an
amount of yoghurt equal to cucumbers (1 cup to
1 cup, etc.), 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 - 1
teaspoon fresh mint, finely chopped (optional).
Mix cucumbers and yoghurt. In a hot, cast iron
skillet, toast cumin seeds without oil until brown.
Stir briskly to prevent burning. Pound the toasted
seeds in a mortar and pestle and stir into the
cucumbers and yoghurt along with the mint.
Serve cold as an accompaniment to curries.
Serves 4 - 6.

15. * Yoghurt Cheese Dessert
1 Cup Yoghurt Cheese
1/4 Cup Honey
1Teaspoon rose water
1/4 Teaspoon ground cardamom
Dash nutmeg
Few Saffron threads (optional)
Finely chopped almonds or pistachios
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl and stir together well.
Push this mixture through a very fine sieve (tea strainer-
sized mesh) so mixture becomes silky smooth. Cover and
refrigerate at least 3 to 4 hours before serving.
To serve, divide up into fourths and place the tiny scoop in
small dessert bowls. Sprinkle each scoop with a few strands
of saffron (if you want to, and if you can find it) and very
finely chopped nuts. Makes 4 servings (this is very rich and
it's hard to eat much!).