Yogurt, Explained
T a k in g t h e c o n f u s i o n o u t o f t h e d a i r y a is le .
BY KATHLEEN PARRISH
healthy you t
n u t r it io n
]
t was easy buying yogurt
in its hippie heyday. You
1
could choose from plain or
flavored, and if you wanted
to get really fancy, you
could
try
fruit on the
bottom. Then along came
nonfat, low-fat, light, sugar-free,
organic, and, recently, “good” bacteria,
plant sterols, and omega-3 fatty acids.
“It often seems like you need a Ph.D.
in microbiology to navigate the
yogurt aisle,” says LisaTartamella-
Kimmel, a registered dietitian at
Yale-New Haven Hospital in
Connecticut. So consider this a
mini-Ph.D. in yogurtology.
M ADE W IT H ACTIVE
CULTURES This is largely
meaningless. It’s like saying, “Made
with Milk.” All yogurt is made with
active cultures. But only those that
are not heat-treated retain the
beneficial live and active cultures
mentioned previously,
v e r d i c t :
DON’T BUY BASED ON THIS TERM.
PLANT STEROLS Some makers
add plant sterols to yogurt, claiming
the compound reduces cholesterol
levels. Plant sterols are found
naturally in fruit, vegetables,
legumes, nuts, and seeds, and have
been shown to reduce cholesterol
and the risk of heart disease when
co n su m e d re g u la rly o ver lo n g
p erio d s. VERDICT: G ET PLANT STEROLS
FROM PLAN TS THEM SELVES.
O M EG A -
3
S Some yogurts are
touting memory-boosting powers by
adding a type of omega-3 fatty acid
that is crucial for brain health. It’s
most commonly found in fish.
VERD ICT: EAT M ORE FISH OR TAKE
OM EGA
-3
SUPPLEM ENTS.
PR E -PR O B IO TIC S Food
components that feed the good
bacteria so they can grow and
flourish in the gut.
VERD ICT: THERE’S
NO REAL RESEARCH SHOW ING THESE
COM POUNDS ARE H ELPFUL. (S
2 6 2 SEPTEMBER2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDE
PRO BIO TICS Yogurt has always
been a great source of calcium,
protein, riboflavin, and B vitamins,
but certain brands now contain
probiotics—live bacteria cultures
that are beneficial for a healthy
gut. “There are good bugs and
bad bugs, and the good bugs
protect you from pathogens and
support gastrointestinal health,”
says Elisa Zied, spokeswoman for
the American Dietetic Association
and author of
Feed Your Family
Right! How to Make Smart Food
and Fitness Choices for a Healthy
Lifestyle.
“They can also benefit
immunity and possibly suppress
some cancers.” Bacteria are fragile
so in order to make siffe your yogurt
makes the grade, look foMhe
National Yogurt Assoc iation’sjjL
and Active Cultures” seal, which
certifies the product is a probiotic.
<
•
A D D TO Y O U R
O W N Y O G U R T
Pre-flavored or
added-fruit
yogurts are often
loaded with
sugars. A better
idea is to buy
plain or vanilla
.yogurt and add
f
your own fruit.
PHOTO: VEER
