The S&A Health Report: This Food Is a Living Miracle
Do you have any of these diseases or worry about getting them?
| • | High blood pressure |
| • | Bad breath |
| • | Osteoporosis |
| • | Reflux disease |
| • | Colon cancer |
| • | Constipation |
If I could eat only one food to improve my body’s functioning, this would be it…
Just this morning for breakfast I had a scoop of blueberries and a scoop of raspberries with this food. Yesterday, before a long morning of working in my garden (a tougher workout is hard to find), I added this to my protein powder breakfast drink. Last week I felt the rumblings of a sore throat approaching, and I gargled with this natural wonder. You can find it mixed with onions, tomatoes, or garlic in your local Greek or Indian restaurant. What is this miracle food that you absolutely must consume weekly? READ ON!
It is a food like no other, mainly because it is actually ALIVE. What is it? It is just plain, old yogurt. Yogurt is absolutely amazing. Yogurt is simply cultured milk. This means that special organisms are placed in the milk, the mixture is heated, and mere hours later… voila!... yogurt.
Moreover, don’t limit yourself to cow milk. Any type of milk will do: goat, sheep, horse, etc. After the warmed mixture has brought the yogurt to life, the yogurt is then chilled, which keeps the “bugs” alive but less active. Guess what? The organisms inside the live yogurt are what give yogurt most of its health benefits. Here, for the scientist in you, is the list of some of the most beneficial bugs (bacteria) found within our yogurt:
1. Lactobacillus acidophilus
2. Lactobacillus bulgaricus
3. Lactobacillus casei
4. Lactobacillus reuteri
5. Bifobacterium bifidum
6. Streptococcus thermophilus
Interestingly, the live bugs in yogurt compete with the “bad” bugs in the body and help enhance and fortify the immune system. The live yogurt cultures crowd out the disease-causing bacteria and are, hence, known as “probiotics” (as opposed to “antibiotics). These yogurt bacteria are thought to greatly enhance the immune system and as such are thought to help fight off colon cancer.
However, I think one of the most wonderful benefits of eating yogurt is the improvement in the quality of stool produced. (I have now officially become my father. There was actually a time in my life when stool quality never entered my consciousness.) At this point, everyone aged 39 years and younger can laugh at me and skip ahead to the next paragraph. But remember, years from now you will appreciate my commentary on a good bowel movement.
As it turns out, there are many other purported benefits of yogurt consumption and, even better, many types of yogurt. As for the benefits, I’ve already given you my No. 1 (or is it my No. 2?). In addition to the health benefits of the bugs in your gut, yogurt is also high in calcium, which adds about 15%-25% of your daily calcium requirements with each portion of yogurt.
Moreover, yogurt has been associated with other important benefits. Some are scientifically proven in humans, but some only in animals. Common sense allows us to extrapolate the human health benefits of adding yogurt to our diet. Yogurt…
| • | Improves digestion and relieves bloating, especially in lactose-intolerant people who enjoy milk products. |
| • | Is high in B-vitamins, iodine, zinc, potassium, protein, and molybdenum – all micronutrients associated with health. |
| • | •s associated with lower blood pressure – this may be due to calcium, micronutrients, or immune regulation. |
| • | Improves constipation by helping to further digest foods in the gut. |
| • | Helps prevent cavities and tooth decay, reducing levels of plaque by competing with disease-causing bacteria. |
| • | Is associated with longevity, perhaps due to its association with the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. |
| • | Helps build bone mass by increasing calcium intake – this can help prevent osteoporosis. |
| • | May help with weight loss. Women in France swear by it for keeping the pounds off. The calcium content helps burn fat, too. |
| • | For women, it helps prevent yeast infections by restoring the normal flora in the female tracts. |
| • | Improves bad breath by lowering hydrogen sulphide levels in the mouth (the major cause of bad breath). |
| • | Reduces reflux disease by helping the body digest foods quickly and appropriately, thus avoiding food remaining stationary within the gut or stomach. |
| • | Reduces inflammation in the body. The mechanism is not fully delineated but is thought to be connected to pathways involving interleukins, interferon, and IgE molecules. |
| • | Lowers colon cancer risk – probably by lowering amounts of nitrate and nitrites in the gut. |
| • | Lowers cholesterol by binding bile acids and cholesterol. |
Once you are convinced of the benefits of yogurt, the next step is to be sure to buy the right kind. Or you can always make your own, as I sometimes do. There is a confusing array of yogurts in most stores, and yet there are only two important things to remember when purchasing:
1. Live and active cultures
2. Plain yogurt
First, make sure the container verifies the yogurt has live and active cultures. Don’t buy anything that has been heated or pasteurized after the mixing of the culture. The second tip is to avoid anything but plain yogurt. Avoid the yogurts with fruit, sugars, fructose, and added fillers. Most of the stuff added is just empty and slimy extra calories that make you think you’re eating healthy.
What you want is good old “PLAIN YOGURT.” There are a few brands that make this. They are often found in the lowest part of the dairy case in your grocery store, and it is not unusual for them to only come in large containers. There are a couple of brands of PLAIN that I can recommend: Dannon and Stonyfield Farms. Buy the large tub and stop by the fruit section and purchase some fresh fruit: e.g., raspberries, peaches, bananas, or blueberries. Also try dipping dark chocolate in plain yogurt. Yummy! (You already know my thoughts on the health benefits of chocolate.)
Over the years, many of my friends have tasted my homemade yogurt prepared for a dinner party, a salad dressing, or my special and spectacular desserts. It is actually quite simple to make yourself. I first started doing it back in 1978 when I bought my first Salton yogurt maker. The white glass jars that came with the kit are long gone, but the blue plastic spoon/thermometer combination lives on in my kitchen utensil drawer. Cooked to the right temperature, the yogurt cultures come alive and transform the milk to a spectacularly delicious fresh flavor by the next day. You can substitute this yogurt in almost any recipe that calls for a thick white sauce, cream, or other dairy product.
When it comes to yogurt, what do I do?
| 1. |
I keep a tub of PLAIN YOGURT in my fridge at all times. |
| 2. |
When I feel a sore throat coming on… perhaps three times a year… I gargle with yogurt for one or two minutes, and I am almost guaranteed to be symptom-free by the next morning. |
| 3. |
I eat my berries (and other fruit, too) with yogurt whenever I can. |
| 4. |
If I take an antibiotic (once a year… more on this in another piece) I will be sure to eat yogurt with it. This helps restore your body’s natural bacteria, since the antibiotic will destroy both the good and bad bugs in the gut. |
| 5. |
When eating Greek or Indian food, I always ask for extra yogurt side condiments such as tzatziki sauce (Greek) and raita (Indian). |
| 6. |
I AVOID frozen yogurt since it is high in sugars and fructose corn syrups, which counter the yogurt’s healthy benefits. |
| 7. |
But I do make my own frozen concoction with plain yogurt, vanilla flavoring, and dark chocolate pieces. Mmm! |
| 8. | Almost daily I will add a little bit of yogurt to a glass of milk or soy milk with some protein powder for a quick, simple, and healthy breakfast smoothie. |
Here’s to our health,
David Eifrig Jr., M.D., M.B.A.