Food Friday: Yogurt, Calcium's Supreme Queen!

So every Friday I thought I would highlight a certain food that I have heard about in my classes and then I also look it up in my book "101 foods that could save your life" by David Grotto (sweet book).

So today I thought I would post about yogurt.  When most of us think about calcium we think about milk (1% 300 mg), but turns out there is almost 30% more calcium in yogurt (approx 389 mg calcium).  Yogurt is the highest source of calcium and is highly recommended for women (women MUST eat the recommended amount of calcium every day!!!!) to eat a 6 oz cup EVERY DAY  But, try to find varieties that do not have High Fructose Corn Syrup, so just look on the back of the cup.

Another benefit of yogurt is that it is considered a PROBIOTIC (helps digestion), because it contains bacteria that produce lactic acid.  the consumption of these bacteria is beneficial for boosting the immune system, enhancing INTESTINAL TRACT FUNCTIONING, lessening symptoms of lactos intolerance and reducing the risk of certain cancers.  

When choosing a yogurt, remember that they do have sugar in them so try to find one with REAL SUGAR not High Fructose Corn Syrup and try to find one with less than 20 grams of sugar or preferrably less than 15 grams (highly unlikely).

Many women struggle with yeast infections.  Eating yogurt that contains LIVE CULTURES OF LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS (should say on the back) on a daily basis will introduce good bacteria and help treat yeast infections.

Yogurt is one of the oldest foods in recorded history, it is believed to date back as far as 10,000 years (in Turkey).Civilizations recognized yogurt's digestive health benefits and spoke of yogurt's "cleansing" attributes and contribution to longevity.  Elie Metchnikoff from the Pasteur Institute won a Nobel Prize for isolating the cultures used to make yogurt (20th century).

Yogurt is also shown to benefit the folowing:

1. Reduction in odor-inducing bacteria of the mouth (i.e. bad breath!!)
2. Found to reduce arthritic inflammation of rats (i.e. reduce arthritis)
3. Improves LDL/HDL cholesterol ratios (i.e. good heart health)
4. Shown to increase anticancer activity towards colon cancer.
5. Ability to suppress H. Pylori (main bacteria in your stomach which can create ulcers), decreased the infection.