Do You Know the Health Benefits of Greek Yogurt?

Rich Protein Content

One of the health benefits of Greek yogurt for people trying to lose weight comes from the fact that it is rich in protein. Most of the popular brands contain about 14 to 16 grams of protein in six ounces. Compared to the 10 grams present in regular yogurts, this is indeed quite good. The high protein also makes you feel fuller for a longer time. So, you are less likely to feel hungry when you eat a cup of your favorite Greek yogurt brand.

Low Sugar Content

Another reason responsible for the health benefits of Greek yogurt is the fact that it is low in sugar. Your regular yogurt variety contains around 12 grams of sugar. On the other hand, a six ounce container of Greek yogurt contains a maximum of 6 grams of sugar. So, again it is quite good for you if you are trying to lose weight.

Low in Carbohydrate Content

Cutting down on carbohydrates? Consider Greek yogurt. While your regular yogurt contains around 17 grams of carbohydrates, Greek yogurt contains a maximum of 12 grams.

Low Calorie Food

Being a low calorie food, Greek yogurt offers quite a few health benefits. You can use this as a replacement for fat-free sour cream. Greek yogurt contains only 80 to 100 calories compared to the 170 calories of fat-free sour cream.

Low Sodium Content

Greek yogurt does not contain as much sodium as your regular non-fat plain yogurt. A 6 ounce cup of your regular yogurt contains about 120 mg of sodium whereas the same cup of Greek yogurt just contains 50 mg. So, if you want to cut down on your sodium consumption, Greek yogurt may be the right choice here.

Low Calcium Content

While many see this as a drawback of Greek yogurt, low calcium content may be necessary for people with a few health conditions. Greek yogurt tends to lose its calcium content because while making it, milk is heated and placed in muslin or cheesecloth bags. This is meant to let whey filter out. During this straining process, quite some amount of calcium gets lost.

However, there are quite a few Greek yogurt brands that add the calcium. So, you may not be always consuming low-calcium Greek yogurt. In fact, even without the added calcium, you may actually get about 20 percent of the daily recommended intake of calcium with a 6-ounce cup. This is, however, lower than the 30 percent provided by your regular yogurt.

Take a look at some of the popular brands of the healthy Greek yogurt.

If you want to reap the health benefits of Greek yogurt without paying too much money, consider making your own. All you need to do is pour your regular yogurt variety into a strainer. This strainer should be lined with cheesecloth. Cover this and refrigerate for several hours. The more you allow the yogurt to drain, the thicker and creamier the Greek yogurt.

Low in calories, low in sugar, low in carbohydrates, and high in protein makes Greek yogurt quite the ideal choice for weight-watchers. It makes you feel fuller and that too with very few calories.

Greek yogurt is quite beneficial for people with diabetes and heart disease since it is low in sugar, sodium and carbohydrates. Most of the Greek yogurt brands are low in cholesterol as well. However, the cholesterol content is higher than your regular non-fat plain variety. All you need to do is stay away from the full-fat varieties and stick to the reduced fat and fat-free varieties.

Keep in mind that it is yogurt. Just like your regular yogurt, it does have those friendly bacterial cultures that are so beneficial for your intestinal health. This is another reason why it may help in losing weight as well as controlling diabetes, heart problems, and also digestive issues.

Now that you know some of the health benefits of Greek yogurt, maybe it is time to try out one yourself. If you are watching your weight or have heart disease, just stay from full-fat varieties and you will be just fine.