Your diet needs a balance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals so that you get enough calories to perform daily tasks and activities. One of the most frequent questions that arises when eating dairy is whether skimmed yogurts are good or bad and how to incorporate them into a healthy nutritional regimen. Therefore, it is key that you add to your meals the raw materials that integrate the four main food groups: proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats and antioxidants. In this way, your whole organism is able to develop in an integral way and you strengthen your immune system.
The Spanish Heart Foundation stresses that yogurt contains proteins that are very useful for humans and are more digestible than milk. “It is a good source of vitamins B and A and an excellent source of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc,” say professionals. In this sense, they point out that one of the greatest values of yogurt and other fermented milks is their probiotic (“pro-life”) value, due to the bacteria they contain. Thus, a wide variety of benefits can be found from the intake and consumption, among which are recognized better conditions for the symptoms of lactose intolerance because it allows you to digest it more easily. In turn, it is a great food for the prevention and treatment of diarrhea in children, especially that caused by rotavirus. In addition, it also offers improvements in diarrhea in adults after taking antibiotics, due to the contributions in the restoration of the initial intestinal flora. Finally, the consumption of yogurts generates an increase in the natural production of certain types of immune system cells.
What are skimmed yogurts like?
For the Anti-Additives Association, a non-profit organization that sets standards to provide an additive-free food environment, Spaniards prefer skimmed yogurts.
In this regard, they indicate that yogurt is one of the most consumed dairy products, along with cheese and ice cream. “It is a food that is available all year round and satisfies the appetite,” they point out.
In turn, they add that a yogurt provides 18% of the recommended intake of calcium and 30% of phosphorus. Every 125 grams of plain yogurt contains 71 kilocalories, while skimmed yogurt contains 45 kilocalories.
Why does this variety of yogurts stand out?
The body that promotes food without additives, the consumption of fewer calories, fats or sugars must be accompanied by the abandonment of sedentary lifestyles and other bad habits.
In this line, they warn that light or zero products have long been fashionable, but experts warn that they are not as healthy as they seem and do not promote weight loss.
Skimmed yogurts are good within a varied, balanced and fresh nutritional scheme. In Spain, it is one of the most widely sold, above natural yogurts. According to nutritionist Laura Isabel Arranz, there is little difference in terms of fat between whole and skimmed yogurts. In that sense, she admitted that there is a difference in terms of satiety, since the whole yogurt generates greater satisfaction after eating it.
It is very common that there is a generalized erroneous belief about the contributions and benefits for your health of light and skim products. In general, they tend to have more sugars and derivatives than whole yogurts.
The contribution of healthy fats to your body
Dr. Frank Hu, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard University’s TH Chan School of Public Health, explains that healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocados) can help the body absorb essential nutrients and contribute to overall health.
The health professional stresses that it is neither necessary nor advisable to switch from low-fat and skim milk to whole milk and cheese. Nor does he consider it evident that whole milk is better than the low-fat version.
Regarding the control of the consumption of dairy products, Frank Hu states that these products contain mainly saturated fats that can increase the risk of heart disease.
On the other hand, healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil, oily fish, nuts and dairy products are of healthier origin.
The recommendation the doctor shares is that he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to consume a lot of whole dairy products and that a balance of low-fat and whole options is preferable. “If you want more wellness, you can have a glass of skim or 1% fat milk combined with a whole yogurt.”
Knowing the benefits of skim yogurts allows you to make a varied, healthy and natural diet.
