Yogurt Nutrition Facts

Yogurt is a nutritious dairy product that is easier to digest than milk. It is a common breakfast choice and can be eaten alone, or with cereal, muesli, fruit or honey to give it some great, added flavor.

Yogurt, which got its name from the Turkish word "yogurur", which translates to "long life", comes in many variations. Some of these include: full cream, low fat, fat free and even organic yogurt.

Yogurt is characterized by its thick texture, although it can have a slightly smoother texture as well, which is often seen in drinking yogurt. According to the FDA (The Food and Drug Administration), in order for a product to be called "yogurt" it must be made by combining bacteria such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus to the dairy product.

Although the thought of consuming bacteria may be somewhat disgusting, the bacteria contained in yogurt is, in fact, "friendly bacteria". This kind of bacteria helps to boost the health of your intestinal tracts, which boosts immunity in the body.

Some of the common nutrients contained in a typical cup of low fat yogurt include: iodine, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, tryptophan, potassium, molybdenum, zinc and vitamin B5. A typical cup of low fat, plain yogurt contains about 155 calories.

Author: Dimi Ingle
Copyright 2008: Remedium. This article may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Remedium.