At the beginning of XX century, at the
most famous institute at that time ‘Pasteur’ in Paris, it was found out that the harmful effect of microorganisms because of which changes in elderly people occur, changes that lead to excessive premature death, could be decreased through appropriate lactobacilli, containing in yogurt. They also established, by collecting information from 36 counties, that the biggest number of people, living over 100 years, is in Bulgaria – four people in every 1000. This was considered to be because of the regular consumption of yogurt. So they set a strict scientific basis for the nutritional, dietary and healing properties of
yogurt and turned the world` s community attention towards the product yogurt.
The microflora of yogurt was studied for the first time by
Stamen Grigorov (1878-1945), a student of medicine in Geneva. In 1905, he described it as consisting of one rod-shaped and one spherical lactic acid bacteria. In 1907, the rod-shaped bacteria was called Lactobacillus bulgaricus. In 1917, Orla Jensen proved that in producing yogurt except Lactobacillus bulgaricus, there are also cocci (spherical microorganisms) participating in it, which were called Streptococcus thermophilus.
During yogurt fermentation, deep changed into the yogurt composition occur. The resulting processes have a beneficial impact and a number of good health effects on the body.
Yogurt composition is similar to milk composition, which it is a result of, but in many aspects it is different from it. The chemical composition of the different types of yogurt are defined by the type of the milk, by the animal breed, from which it is milked, the feeding of the animals, the technologies which are applied in its production.
Nutritional value of yogurt.
The nutritional value of yogurt is determined by the content of nutrient substances, and by the possibility that these nutrients are used by our bodies. In general, yogurt has higher nutritional value than milk. This is due to the changes which occur under the influence of two bacteria – Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermphilus. The content of milk sugar into yogurt is decreased by 20-30% in comparison with milk. The remaining amount of milk sugar serves as a source of energy 4.1 kkal.
Yogurt for a healthy heart and bones
Yogurt is a rich source of calcium for satisfying the needs of human body. Calcium maintains the heart excitability. Calcium is really extremely important for the proper and normal functioning of the nervous system. It stimulates the effect of endocrine glands and accelerates the blood coagulation.
Yogurt is an indispensable source of calcium for people, who suffer from lactose intolerance, as well as for middle-aged women, who often suffer from bone deformation due to calcium deficiency.To have strong bones, every person in adulthood should consume at least one pot of yogurt or 100 g cheese per day. In older people, the dose should be doubled.
Yogurt for eliminating fatigue and stress – for tone. A cure against food poisoning.
The bacterias Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus not only increase the nutritional and biological value of yogurt – they also give healing properties to this food. Yogurt contains substances, which suppress the development of numerous microorganisms. It is established that yogurt microflora synthesized antibiotic and antimicrobial substances, which have suppressing effect over the microorganisms of intestinal tract, especially putrefactive microorganisms. Yogurt is also powerful biological means against some types of food poisoning. Yogurt also has an effect against tiredness, as well as body toning effect. It also helps in the fight against stomach and intestinal cancer, and the regular intake of yogurt decreases the risk of appearing of such disease.
Yogurt for lowering the cholesterol
There is an increasing interest in relation to the connection between the food, the cholesterol level in the blood and cardiovascular diseases. Foods which decrease the high cholesterol level into the blood serum, are highly desirable. The regular intake of yogurt significantly reduces the cholesterol level into the blood serum. Usually the content of the cholesterol level is decreased in the period of seven days after starting eating yogurt. Yogurt is a valuable supplement in the diet of diabetics, which has to be with lower content of fats in order to ensure better bearing of carbohydrates. This requires the yogurt for diabetics to be made of fat-free milk.
Yogurt for the immune system and slower aging of the organism.
When antibiotics are taken orally, the biological balance in the guts is upset. As a result, some severe diseases of the digestive system can appear. Systematic eating of yogurt is reflecting extremely favorable on the restoration of the biological balance of the intestinal microflora. The regular consumption helps for creating and maintaining non-specific immunological reactions into the human body. This is particularly important when taking sterile foods, which is connected to the occurrence of some viral diseases, in particular hepatitis. In general, yogurt has immune-stimulating effect. It is an effective remedy for d
iarrhoea, constipation and other gastrointestinal diseases. It helps for headache and it is particularly known as a remedy for removing hangover. And thanks to all these healing properties, Bulgarian yogurt contributes to slow body aging.
Yogurt as food for infants
The beneficial influence of yogurt over the development of the child organism is due to the easier digesting of yogurt and the easier bearing, better usage of protein, calcium and iron, and because of its healing and tonic properties.
Using of yogurt in livestock
Bulgarian yogurt is really effective remedy in treating the organisms from gastrointestinal diseases and disorders that animals can suffer from. Adding yogurt into the food of animals, significantly improves their immune system, their health and this improves respectively the quality of the meat and the product made from them, and also increases their growth.
The areas for yogurt application are so many,
but one thing is for sure
- yogurt is extremely beneficial for the body.
Yogurt is Extremely Beneficial for the Body
You have probably noticed that yogurt is a food included in all diet plans taking care of your health. It is high time you found out why it is so.
Yogurt for a healthy heart and bones
The first reason that most of the people know is that it is one of the best sources of calcium. This is the nutrient, which helps best to strengthen your bones. If you have brittle bones you need to consume at least one cup of yogurt every day. The dose for older people should be doubled.
Scientific researches proved that it also lowers the risk of heart diseases. Yogurt contains a probiotic bacteria, which protects the heart and prevents the walls of carotid arteries from thickening.
Yogurt for eliminating fatigue and stress – for tone.
If we want a normally functioning nervous system, we need to include this food in our daily menu. A recent study showed that the probiotics that yogurt contains may influence your mood and feelings as they cause a decrease in depressions and stress levels. This study reported that yogurt in fact acts as an anti-depressant because the patients who previously suffered chronic fatigue now showed noticeable improvements.
A cure against food poisoning.
Yogurt contains probiotics, which are in fact live microorganisms and may help fighting the harmful bacteria causing the food poisoning. They will strengthen your immune systems and prevent you from subsequent infections. It will probably not help you immediately. You have to be patient and in some days, you will feel as if this had never happened to you.
Yogurt for lowering the cholesterol.
Usually women suffer problems with their cholesterol. The everyday usage of yogurt shows increase in the levels of the so-called good cholesterol and decrease in the levels of the bad one. This is probably because live cultures assimilate bad cholesterol. This is an easy and pleasant way for you to take care after your health. It is neither an expensive nor a rarely found product, so you should definitely try it out.
Yogurt for the immune system and slower aging of the organism.
Another proven benefit of yogurt is its effect on our immune systems. If we eat yogurt often we will sooner or later feel its results as it influences the intestinal tract. Its intense usage will make our bodies resistant to such diseases as cancer and different infections, which are in fact immune-related diseases.
When you have no problems with your digesting, skin and illnesses then you will look young for a longer period. You may achieve all this by eating yogurt. Usually sick people look old. This is why you need to protect your immune system well and improve your way of eating. You have to be sure friendly bacteria will help you look prefect.
These are the main benefits you need to know about yogurt. They should be more than enough to convince you that this product needs to be in your refrigerator and on your table every day."
