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Benefits of probiotic yogurts and popular brands

Benefits of probiotic yogurts and popular brands

Bacteria are commonly perceived as harmful organisms to be avoided at all costs. However, very few know that many of them play a vital role in maintaining our gut health. Probiotics are good bacteria that our gut craves to eliminate the harmful bacteria from our body. Even though several sources of probiotics are available, like fermented foods and supplements, there is no tastier way to include good bacteria in meals than yogurts, as discussed below:

What are the key probiotic benefits for the body?
Your body, specifically your gut, is composed of trillions of microbes called the gut microbiome. When you eat or drink something, your gut microbiome balance is affected, which comprises both good bacteria and harmful bacteria.

When an infection attacks your body, the number of harmful bacteria exceeds the number of good bacteria in your guts. To destroy these bad guys, your body requires good bacteria from external sources. When probiotics from external sources like supplements or fermented foods enter your body, they attack the harmful bacteria to restore the equilibrium of your gut microbiome, making your colon strong and helping your body to fight off infections.

Some of the typical disease symptoms that probiotics help in managing include diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and lactose intolerance. This is because they help in disintegrating fibrous foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, and specific fruits.

Among the various existing probiotic types, Lactobacillus acidophilus is the most commonly available as well as the most beneficial one. It maintains blood sugar levels, promotes overall digestion, and strengthens your body to fight off yeast infections. It is typically combined with two other probiotics called Lactobacillus casei and Bifidus regularis to make it more effective in enhancing intestinal health.

You can also find L. acidophilus in miso, tempeh, cheese and sauerkraut. However, most nutritionists suggest yogurt as it is the most accessible and affordable option. Besides, it can be easily included in your daily meal regime as a healthy and tasty snack.

How to select the best probiotic yogurt?

Since the market is flooded with different probiotic yogurt brands, it may be overwhelming to select the right one. However, an inspection of the ingredients list can help narrow down your ambit of choices. Thus, when you intend to purchase a product, make sure to look into two things in the food label:

  1. Ensure that the product mentions the presence of “live and active cultures.”
  2. Look into the sugar content. Some yogurts tend to have more sugar content than an ice cream bowl. An ideal probiotic yogurt should not have more than 10 grams of sugar.

Apart from maintaining your blood sugar levels, the reason that makes going through the sugar content all the more necessary is that the harmful bacteria present in your body flourish on sugar. So, purchasing a product with excessive sugar can spoil your efforts as it will cause the harmful bacteria to let loose and outnumber good bacteria, causing chronic diseases and inflammation. Although the probiotics will fight the harmful bacteria, the presence of excess sugar will spoil their efforts. Keeping these points in mind, here are a few healthiest and tastiest probiotic yogurts you can trust with your eyes closed.

Stonyfield Organic Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
Be it regular yogurt or Greek yogurt, Stonefield is notable for offering healthy and safe probiotic yogurts free-from-growth hormones and containing outstanding live active culture sources. Besides, they are non-GMO and committed to lessening unnecessary sugar from their content. Furthermore, they also have soy probiotics yogurts for dairy-free probiotics eaters.

Siggi’s Vanilla Whole-Milk Yogurt
Siggi’s is one of the most recommended yogurts by experts. However, it is not really a yogurt. Instead, it is skyr, an Icelandic kind of yogurt, which is thicker and creamier than Greek yogurt. Besides, its sugar content is 40 percent lesser than Greek yogurts and contains more protein and live-active bacteria to enhance bodily health.

Yoplait Light Strawberry Yogurt
Even though Greek yogurts are popular, they are not suitable for everyone due to their thickness. For those who prefer less thick yogurts, Yoplait Light is a perfect choice. Besides, it is rich in Vitamin D, which is highly essential for bone health. Furthermore, it offers some lip-smacking flavors, with the strawberry being the most popular one. However, they are pretty sweet tasting. So, be reasonable with the toppings, especially fruits.

Chobani Less Sugar Greek Yogurt
Chobani’s Less Sugar Greek Yogurt line offers 45 percent less sugar than other yogurts. It is gluten-free, vegetarian-friendly, and, most importantly, kosher-certified. Besides, it is incredibly delicious and comes in several flavors, including blueberry, alphonso mango, and Fino Limon.

Vega Protein Cashew Milk Raspberry Yogurt
Each cup of this vegan-friendly yogurt contains over 10 billion live active cultures, making it one of the most sought-after plant-based yogurt alternatives. The yogurt is creamy and thick and is available in several flavors.

To Conclude
The health benefits of probiotics are many, and so are their sources. However, yogurts are the easiest to sneak into your daily food habits due to their potential as the perfect evening snacks. So, avoid wasting your precious time and maintain your gut health with some tasty probiotic yogurt.

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