Natural yogurt how to choose. Kefir and yogurt: how to choose a "live" product? Composition and shelf life

healthiest yogurt has a short shelf life. The smaller it is, the healthier the yogurt is. In long-term storage products, the most important meaning is lost - the benefits for the human body.

Information for the consumer

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healthiest yogurt- this is a lactic acid product, which after fermentation should not be subjected to heat treatment and it should contain lactic acid bacteria that live for almost 10 days at a temperature of 0 to +10 gr.

We find shelves with yogurt in the supermarket and begin to study its label. We are primarily interested in the composition of the product. Most often, the composition of the ingredients can be seen: milk in various forms (normalized, reconstituted or skimmed), dyes, sugar, flavors, stabilizers, acidity regulators, fruit additives, etc. But is there any benefit in such a product? At best, this is an ordinary dessert drink and, as you understand, there is no benefit in it.

Real and healthy for our intestines is the so-called “live” yogurt, the one in which live bacteria are present. On the packages they

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referred to as "live" or "active" cultures. Just do not confuse the sign “live and active cultures” with the inscription “made on the basis of live lactobacilli”, this is how an unscrupulous manufacturer tries to deceive the buyer, and he has nothing to do with real yogurt.

Useful and natural yogurt refers to perishable products. The shelf life of such products is not more than 10 days. Some manufacturers, through heat treatment, as a result of which live bacteria die, make thermized yogurt products with an extended shelf life, reaching up to 3-4 months.

real admirers natural yogurt a little, since it does not contain sugar at all. Most buyers prefer products with additives from berries or fruits, and in order for these additives not to ferment, they are deprived of all vitamins by processing and they become useless.

Remember that the most natural yogurt one that contains only two ingredients: pasteurized or skimmed milk and live cultures of lactic acid bacteria, but fruit yogurt is not a real product, as it is saturated with calories and contains sugar or its substitute.

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Often harmful and dangerous ingredients are found in yogurt, so you should not buy products that contain ingredients with the name “Flavor identical to natural” - this is a purely chemical product.

Do not buy also yogurts based on vegetable oil, margarine analogue and guar gum, these are quite harmful ingredients for our health.

If possible, avoid products that contain: pectin, sodium citrate and food gelatin, they do not add anything useful to the product.

The presence of starch in the composition of yogurt is a clear sign of a fake.

There is an easy way to check the naturalness of the product, for this, take a couple of spoons of yogurt and put it in a cup, add a few drops of iodine. If blue spots appear, it means that there is starch in the composition.

Remember that lactic acid bacteria do not affect the consistency of the drink in any way, it can be either thick or liquid.

“Craftsmen” have appeared who, under the guise of yogurt, are trying to impose on customers a water drink with the addition of dyes and flavors.

You can also distinguish the most useful yogurt by packaging. With a deformed and crumpled container, we can talk about a violation of the tightness of the product, and this is already dangerous for your health. When buying, give preference to packaging with a plastic lid, these are not damaged during transportation.

It is very important for the buyer to remember that on the present and natural yogurt the name “yogurt” is put, and when the manufacturer violates the production technology, he goes to the trick and calls his products names like “yogurtovich” or “frogurtik”, etc.

From this article, you learned which yogurt is healthier, but to include it in your diet or not, everyone decides for himself.

Remember. If you were sold a low-quality product and the store refuses to return your money, contact the local branch of Rospotrebnadzor of the Russian Federation.

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Anecdote on topic!!!

A man enters the store. He stands at the counter and looks at something for a long time.

Then he asks the saleswoman:

- Tell me, what is this beautiful thing you have here, with such a wonderful and pretty label?

- This is a man, healthiest yogurt.

– Aaaaa…. Well then, please give me a bottle of vodka.

If you know other rules and methods for choosing high-quality and healthy products, write about them in the comments to the articles, I will be very grateful.

Good luck and good shopping!

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Yoghurt natural enjoys great popularity in America, Turkey and Greece, as well as in other parts of the world. This product is obtained by fermenting milk with a bacterial ferment. Natural yogurt is not sweet, but has a sour taste. But what this product looks like you can see in the photo below.

Selection and storage

Among the huge number of yogurts presented on store shelves, it is quite difficult to choose a natural product. There are several aspects that should be considered in order not to make a mistake when choosing:

1. It’s worth starting with the expiration date: the smaller it is, the better and more natural the product will be. If you see some sky-high value, for example, a few months, you should refuse to buy such a product.
2. Next, we turn to the composition and there, without fail, there must be live bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Some unscrupulous manufacturers indicate on the packaging “made on the basis of live bacteria”, such a product is not natural and it is better not to buy it.
3. Yoghurts with the use of fruits and berries cannot be considered natural, so in accordance with GOST, such a product should not contain additives.
4. Without fail, when choosing natural yogurt, pay attention to the packaging. It must be intact without any damage.

The shelf life of natural yogurt is no more than 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of natural yogurt are evaluated in medicine, as this product contains probiotics, as well as a large amount of vitamins and minerals. There is calcium and phosphorus in this product, which are necessary for bone tissue. Considering this, it is recommended to use natural yogurt for people with fractures for quick recovery. This product contains a large amount of potassium, which is necessary for the normalization of the activity of the cardiovascular system.

A natural product has a beneficial effect on digestion and on the work of the gastrointestinal tract as a whole. This product is considered an excellent alternative for people who have lactose intolerance.

It has been proven that natural yogurt promotes weight loss, because its calorie content is low, which means that it is recommended to use it for people with obesity.

Studies have shown that this the product protects the body from the development of cancer, and it also helps to deal with problems of the heart and blood vessels. In addition, natural yogurt helps in the fight against gum disease.

Useful properties of natural yogurt lie in its unique composition. Thanks to them, it is possible for women to take this product not only during pregnancy, but also during breastfeeding. When using natural yogurt, the body of a young mother is enriched with calcium, as well as vitamins and other microelements, which are subsequently transferred to the child along with milk.

Among other things, natural yogurt is actively used in cosmetology, being an excellent tool for making masks for the face, body and hair. Also, with the help of this product, you can prepare an effective cream for moisturizing the skin. We suggest you take note of a few simple recipes for preparing cosmetic products based on natural yogurt at home.

Before proceeding with the preparation of masks and creams, it should be remembered that for oily skin, only fat-free yogurt should be used, and for dry skin, vice versa.

• The easiest option would be to apply pure natural yogurt on your face in a thin layer. The product must be kept on the skin for fifteen minutes, then rinse your face with warm water. Such manipulations will narrow the pores and remove oily sheen on the skin.
• If your face often flakes and your skin is too sensitive, it is recommended to prepare the following remedy: mix two tablespoons of natural yogurt with peach pulp, add a spoonful of almond oil to the mixture, and then bring the mask to uniformity. If you want to make a scrub, add ground almonds to the mixture, then apply the composition on your face with gentle circular motions, washing off after twenty minutes with cold water.
• For dry and combination skin, a mixture of natural yogurt with orange juice and pulp is suitable. If you are allergic to citrus fruits, you must add blackcurrant to the mask. The mixture should be thick, like sour cream, and you need to apply it on your face in a thick layer, then wash it off after ten minutes.
• Puffiness of the skin will help to remove the mask of natural yogurt, to which you should add an infusion of chamomile. You can prepare it yourself, or you can buy it ready-made in a pharmacy. For two tablespoons of yogurt, a teaspoon of infusion will be enough. Mix it all, then apply the mixture on a cleansed face, and after ten minutes, rinse the skin with cool water.
• In the fight against acne, pimples and redness on the skin, a mask based on natural yogurt and essential oils will help. To prepare it, it is enough to mix a spoonful of yogurt with three drops of any essential oil, and then apply the product to problem areas of the skin. After twenty-five minutes, you can wash off the mask with warm water.

Any of the above masks based on natural yogurt can be used no more than three times a week. The results will be noticeable after two applications.

For people who have problems with the scalp or hair, there are also some recommendations on how to properly use natural yogurt to get rid of them. We offer you several recipes for preparing products based on this product that will help you cope with most problems.

• The following remedy will help fight oily hair: mix two tablespoons of yogurt with three tablespoons of natural cognac, then add honey in the amount of one spoon, and then mix all the ingredients thoroughly so that the composition is homogeneous. It must be applied to the hair roots, rubbing into the scalp so that the mask penetrates as deep as possible into the pores. Leave the mixture on your hair for twenty minutes, after which rinse it off with warm water.
• Another mask will help against hair loss. It is very easy to cook it. To do this, you need to buy ordinary brown bread and rid it of the crust, leaving only the crumb. Then put the bread in a suitable container and fill it with natural yogurt, leaving the crumb to swell. After that, apply the gruel to damp hair, working especially well at the root line, and leave as much as possible. The longer the mask is on the hair, the better the effect will be. It is necessary to wash it off with shampoo, it is advisable to use a baby shampoo.

With all this, do not forget that natural yogurt is also a great option for breakfast or a late dinner. It can be consumed with fresh fruit or added to salads, and it is also useful to eat this product at night.

Use in cooking

natural yogurt has a neutral taste, which allows it to be used in cooking for preparing a variety of dishes. This product can serve as an excellent dressing for salads, casseroles and various second courses. If you add berries to yogurt, then it can be a wonderful dessert from which you can make jelly, etc. Various cocktails can be made from this drink.

In cooking, natural yogurt is used quite often. It is used to prepare desserts, salads, pastries and other dishes. Some recipes require the presence of this particular product, but sometimes it happens that it is not at hand, and it is problematic to find this ingredient in the store. In this case, it becomes necessary to replace natural yogurt with other products.

If you ask experienced hostesses, they will answer you that the following ingredients are perfect as a replacement for natural yogurt:

• kefir;
• sour cream;
• curdled milk;
• yogurt.

The choice of product should be based on the dish you are preparing. For example, if there is a need to replace yogurt in baking, then kefir or yogurt, which are usually mixed with cream, are best suited for this purpose. It is better to add matsoni to salads, and sour cream is perfect for desserts.

Homemade natural yogurt

Homemade natural yogurt is much tastier than store-bought, and most importantly - healthier. You can cook it yourself in many different ways. If you have a slow cooker or yogurt maker on hand, these devices will facilitate the process. We offer you to familiarize yourself with the basic recommendations for making homemade yogurt using kitchen gadgets.

In a slow cooker

It is not difficult to prepare delicious homemade natural yogurt in a slow cooker. All you need for this is the kitchen gadget itself, as well as cooking ingredients such as milk and sourdough. But here one point should be clarified: if you have chosen ultra-pasteurized milk, then you will need to heat it in a saucepan to a temperature of forty degrees, and if you prefer a fresh product, then it must be boiled and then cooled to forty degrees.

The process of making natural homemade yogurt is as follows:

1. Heat or cool the milk to the required temperature, then add dry starter into it, while stirring the mixture.
2. Then you can do as you please. Either pour milk with sourdough into the multicooker bowl, or pour it into small jars, cover the bottom of the appliance with a cloth, and then place the containers on top. At the same time, water must be poured into the bowl so that it does not reach two centimeters to the necks of the cans.
3. Close the lid of the multicooker and turn on the "Yogurt" mode, if available on your device. If it is not there, turn on the multicooker in the "Heating" mode, setting the time to twenty minutes.
4. After the required time has elapsed, leave the yogurt in the slow cooker for at least nine hours. It is best to do this at night.
5. In the morning, you can remove the finished yogurt or jars with it from the multicooker, and then put the containers with the product in the refrigerator for four hours.
6. After the required amount of time, your homemade natural yogurt will be ready to eat.

Such a product is of better quality than the one that can be purchased in the store. You can enjoy it with the whole family, and also add it to pastries and other dishes.

In a yogurt maker

A yogurt maker is another useful tool in your kitchen that will help you prepare delicious and healthy natural yogurt at home. The process of preparing the product is very quick and simple, and so that you don’t confuse anything, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the recommendations for making yogurt in a yogurt maker.

1. To begin with, you should choose the “right” milk, since the final result depends on this choice. It is advisable to take a product with a fat content of at least three and a half percent. It is also not recommended to buy milk in soft bags.
2. As a starter, you can take the finished mixture in bags, and you can also give preference to “live” yoghurts.
3. Heat the selected milk to a temperature of at least forty degrees, then add the leaven to the liquid and beat the ingredients with a mixer until smooth.
4. At this stage, if you wish, you can add any filling: fruits, nuts, jam, etc. If you want to get pure natural yogurt, then you can skip this step.
5. Pour the mixture into special jars and send them to the yogurt maker, closing the lid and setting the time to nine hours. In this case, the yogurt will turn out quite thick, so if you want to make it more liquid, the time should be reduced.
6. After the required time has passed, remove the jars from the yogurt maker, cool to room temperature and put in the refrigerator overnight so that the product is properly infused. After that, your yogurt will be ready to eat.

As you can see, making your own natural yogurt is very easy. If you listen to our recommendations, you can cook a tasty and healthy product with your own hands, and then treat yourself and your family to it..

Harm of natural yogurt and contraindications

Natural yogurt can harm people with individual intolerance to the product. Its introduction into the diet is contraindicated in the presence of any allergic reactions of the body.

I love cotton candy. And all because it is made from one spoon of sugar. This is the rarest example of a food that has less sugar than it looks. Even a schoolboy knows about the harmfulness of cola, chips and sweets, but what is the situation with dairy products, diet yoghurts and children's curds?

Natural yogurt?

At one time I tried to lose weight on a sour-milk diet. I don’t like kefir, so I used delicious drinking yoghurts with and without fillers. You cannot express my disappointment when, after a week of such nutrition, my weight increased by 2 kilograms! I immediately returned to my usual diet, but my intestines protested. He protested for 3 days, only gave up after a lactulose syrup prescribed by a gastroenterologist.

The doctor explained what errors caused this complication. Blame it on those same drinking yoghurts with an incredible amount of sugar and lack of nutrients!

If we only talk about sweets, doctors recommend men should consume no more than 36 grams of sugar per day, and women - only 20. It is necessary to evaluate not only granulated sugar, but all foods eaten, including fruits. Exceeding the "sweet" boundaries is fraught with obesity, diabetes, problems with the heart and brain.

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Dairy products always considered useful. According to television advertising, they contain the maximum concentration of nutrients and all kinds of "live" bacteria. But let's look at the composition of the classic drinkable yogurt. First on the list is raw milk, then sugar or fruit sugar syrup. Further thickeners and additives "identical to natural" ...

Manufacturers of low-fat yogurts also sin by adding sugar. A 300 ml bottle contains 8 spoons, which is 2 times more than the allowable daily allowance for women! Do not even plan to lose weight on drinking yogurt, you risk gaining a couple of kilograms.

On the labels you can often find two names - yogurt and yogurt product. But what's the difference? Experts from scientific research institutes answer that both are useless, even if they do not contain antibiotics, preservatives and vegetable fats. Natural yogurt should contain 11 million beneficial bacteria per 1 gram of product. But none of the studied samples taken from store shelves does not meet the stated indications. The number of detected bacteria is 100 times less than what is written on the label.

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There should be no bacteria in the yogurt product at all, neither beneficial nor harmful, because making yogurt in this way involves high-temperature processing (pasteurization). Roughly speaking, a yogurt product is a canned milk product that can be stored at room temperature.

“Lactic acid bacteria tend to inhibit the growth of harmful microflora, which is why they are so beneficial for digestion and for the intestines. That is why preservatives are not used in yogurt in principle - they are simply not needed there, because useful ones cope with harmful microbes. Unfortunately, not all manufacturers are competent enough in such matters, and it is easier for them to play it safe and “boil” yogurt than to take the risk and produce a “live” product. We end up buying and eating yogurt thinking that we care about health, but in fact - do not bring any benefit to the body».

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Another trick for buyers - calcium enrichment. Yogurt without additives should have at least 110 mg of calcium per 100 g of product. But the test in the laboratory established other data, which are 2-3 times less than indicated! In Rastishka, my children's favorite, there was even less calcium than in milk!

Saturation with calcium is an absolutely useless procedure. Here is how nutritionist Lyudmila Denisenko says about it: “Manufacturers often fortify yogurt or other dairy products with inorganic calcium, which is practically indigestible.. And the lack of calcium in foods is aggravated by the fact that the body absorbs it worse if the yogurt is also fat-free. In addition, by skimming milk, we deprive it of fat-soluble vitamins (A and D), and vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium.”

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Drinkable yoghurts with fruit fillers rich in flavors and dyes, and there are very few beneficial bacteria in them. No one adds natural vanilla to dairy products, otherwise no one would buy them. A synthetic substitute is used, which may contain the following substances: vanillin lignin (an industry by-product from wood waste pulp), ethyl vanillin (compounds from coal tar), or coumarin (a similar flavoring, but very toxic).

Another problem with dairy products is best before date. A simple rule will help you choose a healthy product - choose yogurt with fewer ingredients and a minimum shelf life. Optimally up to 5-7 days. Just imagine how much chemicals you need to use to keep a dairy dessert for up to 30 days!

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Very often carriers, shops and supermarkets violate storage temperature conditions. Such a product becomes extremely dangerous. It’s good if it “carries over”, but serious poisoning is not ruled out!

"Increased amount of lactobacilli", "carefully selected natural ingredients", "normalizes metabolism and improves digestion" - all these are tricks for the buyer! Read labels carefully, and it is best to make yogurt from milk using natural lactic acid bacteria.

If the article was useful to you, show it to your friends on social networks. Surely many of them do not read the labels on dairy products!

Your opinion is very important to us dairy products How to choose a useful and high-quality? Don't forget to write a comment.

Alexandra Dyachenko is perhaps the most active editor of our team. She is an active mother of two children, a tireless hostess, and Sasha also has an interesting hobby: she loves to make impressive decorations and decorate children's parties. The energy of this man cannot be put into words! Dreams of visiting the Brazilian carnival. Sasha's favorite book is "Wonderland Without Brakes" by Haruki Murakami.

Bright labels, screaming inscriptions about the benefits, a beautiful image of a variety of fruits and cereals. These are the packages of yogurts in stores and supermarkets. How to choose yogurts correctly and not fall for the tricks of advertisers? So that the product brings only benefits, and not a food allergy to many dyes and additives? Let's throw back the curtain that covers all the incomprehensible slogans and screaming inscriptions, and see what is hidden under the names "bio yogurt", "ecological yogurt" or "live yogurt".

What should be the composition of yogurt

In order to determine the benefits of yogurt no need to go far, just one look at the composition is enough. Read carefully and do not grab the first product that comes across, no matter how beautiful the packaging is. So, what do we see on the label of the first brightly packaged yogurt that came into our hands?

• skimmed milk;
• cream;
• fruit filler (pineapple, sugar, water, melon, pineapple and melon flavors identical to natural, acidity regulator - citric acid, dyes: beta-carotene, paprika resin oil);
• water;
• sugar;
• glucose-fruit syrup;
• dry whey;
• thickener-E1422;
• dry whey;
• thickener - food gelatin, using sourdough.

What is the benefit of this yogurt? Yes, perhaps a little. Of all the above, fruit filler (pineapple, melon), sugar, cream, water, beta-carotene dye, and wig resin oil can be considered natural.

flavors in yogurt

Now a little explanation about natural ingredients. The composition includes fruits in the form of pieces of pineapple and melon, so why add flavors? They are added for a brighter taste and smell, so that when you open a package of yogurt, the smell will intoxicate you. supposedly fresh fruit. Beta-carotene and paprika resin play the role of a dye. These harmless components of yogurt give a delicate yellowish color. As you know, beta-carotene is nothing more than carrot juice, well, there is nothing to say about paprika resin, so it’s clear about its origin.

Sugar in yogurt

About sugar need to be discussed separately. The presence of sugar in yogurt at first glance is natural, but what if it contains not only sugar, but also glucose, fructose, sugar syrup, and others, or, even worse, all together. Such a product becomes a time bomb for the human body. Using such a product in the blood, the level of sugar rises sharply, which provokes such diseases as: obesity, problems with the cardiovascular system, diabetes mellitus.

It is contraindicated to use such yogurt for patients with diabetes mellitus, people with heart problems, and those with obesity. In such cases, it is better to pay attention to natural yogurts, without additives, and again, carefully study the composition to make sure there are no unsafe ingredients. Now enough natural yogurt offer our attention to small and large grocery stores. It is worth giving preference to a Finnish, Latvian and Polish manufacturer, since in these countries there are more products prohibited in the production than in our country.

What kind of milk is in yogurt

So, let's move on to the main component - milk. Here you can argue for a long time about what kind of milk will be better and healthier in the composition of good yogurt. We can say with confidence that you need to refuse a product that contains reconstituted milk and milk powder. Manufacturers, thus, reduce the cost of production as much as possible, and for us, not only is there no benefit from such yogurt, but it’s not a fact that when you buy you will not encounter damage to the contents of the package or simply get poisoned, since bacteria multiply faster in such a product. Well, milk of unknown origin and quality, mainly from China and other Asian countries, which leads us to doubt the safety and quality of the product. In theory, such a product cannot be called yogurt, the correct name of the product "yoghurt product with fruits".

Skimmed milk, of course, is also not the best option, as, in fact, ultra-pasteurized, but still it is much better than powdered or reconstituted milk. Skimmed milk is an option for dieters. If you are a healthy person with a strong body, then choose yogurt which includes whole milk, such a fermented milk product will bring you much more benefit.

Thickeners

Pay attention to what thickeners are used in the yogurt of your choice. Is it written agar-agar or gelatin? This product can be taken with confidence because agar-agar it is a product (a mixture of agarose and agaropectin polysaccharides) obtained from red and brown algae growing in the Black, White Seas, and also the Pacific Ocean and forming a dense jelly in aqueous solutions.

Gelatin- a colorless, transparent viscous mass, which is obtained by processing the connective tissue of animal origin. It is worth considering if the composition contains thickener E1422 under the name of which modified starch is hidden. Although many countries around the world scream about its safety, yet the frequent use of products with this additive can adversely affect the pancreas and liver. You should not buy such yogurts too often for children.

Yogurts for children

Choose yogurt for children stand with extreme caution. Turn a blind eye to the advertised brands and just look at the list of products in yogurt. Just know that the shorter it is, and the clearer the ingredients, the safer the yogurt. As you know, children very quickly get used to and become addicted to sugar and flavorings. Don't turn your child into a food addict. Now he requires sweets with harmful content from you, and in the near future you will work on drugs that are not at all cheap, supporting pharmaceutical companies.

Choosing yogurt

When choosing yogurt, look package integrity. No dents, no leaks. Dairy and sour-milk products very easily absorb harmful microorganisms from the environment and such a product will become not only not useful, but also dangerous to health.

When choosing yogurt look at the production date. Yogurt should be stored at a temperature of +4, +6 degrees for no more than 10 days from the date of production. This applies to yoghurts with a natural composition. But on the shelves of the store you can find yogurts that can be stored for up to 6 months, of course, the composition of such a product is very long and often incomprehensible. It is preservatives and various additives that prolong the shelf life. Is it possible to get the maximum benefit from such a product? Of course not.

The packaging of yogurt should say on the content of beneficial bifidobacteria. At the end of the term, they do not die, as is commonly believed, they can become dangerous. There is an interesting joke on this occasion: "If the yogurt has expired, know that the bifidobacteria present in it have not died at all - they have simply gone over to the side of evil."

Yogurt is a healthy product

Of course, yogurts will always be bought, because they are advertised as good for the intestines, and in general for the whole body products. Some use them instead of a light snack, others as a dessert, and even eat yogurt for breakfast. There are a lot of ways to use yogurt and interesting recipes with the addition of a delicious, dairy product. If you are planning to cook a healthy and tasty breakfast, then you should pay attention to. They will be an excellent hearty and tasty start to the working day. Even children will like it. You can change the recipe and add those fruits that you like best, or you can make yogurt even tastier and healthier by adding a handful of nuts and cereals.

So you learned how to choose yogurts. There is nothing difficult in their correct choice. The main thing is the composition and shelf life. How to choose yogurt with health benefits, protect children from harmful additives and flavor enhancers? The simplest advice: don't see ads, be suspicious of flashy product labels, and study the product carefully. Following these rules, you will always have only healthy yogurt on the table, which will improve digestion, cheer you up and please you with its taste.

Try making a crab stick salad according to the recipe, but replace the light mayonnaise with yogurt without any additives. Such a replacement will make the salad even more tender and dietary, but keep in mind that the taste of the resulting dish is “for an amateur”, so make a small portion when you cook it for the first time, in case you don’t like it.

Yoghurt, yoghurt, bioygurt, drinking yoghurt... It's just that your eyes run wide, isn't it?! In fact, this is the same product - yogurt, which manufacturers give a variety of names in order to attract as many buyers as possible to the product.

Natural yogurt: what is it?

Natural yogurt is made from the following ingredients:

• whole milk,
• starter cultures from probiotics: Bulgarian sticks (in Latin Lactobacillusbulgaricus) + thermophilic lactic streptococcus (Streptococcusthermophilus).

The benefits of these microorganisms for human health are simply invaluable. They perform a number of important tasks:

• remove toxins from the body,
• normalize the activity of the gastrointestinal tract,
• prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria,
• increase the protective functions of the body,
• prevent the development of gastrointestinal diseases and oncology,
• contribute to the absorption of a number of vitamins and essential amino acids.

Yogurt: read the label!

Choosing Please read its ingredients carefully. It will help determine how many useful and harmful substances this yogurt contains.

1. Minimum of artificial components

Alas, during the production of some yogurts, a number of non-natural components (the so-called "E") are added to them: stabilizers, preservatives, dyes, flavors, etc. The less of these compounds in the composition of yogurt, the more useful it is.

Alas, it is very rare to find yogurt in the store that was made without the use of stabilizers. Give preference to products that contain natural stabilizers (gelatin, guar gum). Unlike artificial stabilizers, natural stabilizers are obtained from plant materials - they will not cause much harm to your body.

1. CFU - indicator of "live" yogurt

According to the presence of beneficial microorganisms, yogurts can be conditionally divided into "live" and "non-living". The former contain probiotics (beneficial microorganisms), while the latter do not.

Carefully read what is written on the product packaging: on the label of "live" yogurt containing useful bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, their number (CFU) in 1 g of the product at the end of the expiration date is always indicated.

1. Short shelf life

The rule here is quite simple: the shorter the shelf life of yogurt, the more natural it is. The so-called "live" yogurt can be stored at 2-6 degrees Celsius for a maximum of 2-3 weeks. If the packaging indicates a long shelf life (over 3-4 weeks), then this yogurt is unlikely to contain useful probiotics. After all, it is possible to increase the shelf life of yogurt only due to its heat treatment, as a result of which all beneficial microorganisms die.

1. Say "no" to thermized and sterilized yoghurts

If the name or description of a yogurt says that it is thermized or sterilized, then it is safe to say that this product was subjected to heat treatment during its production (this is the so-called “non-living” yogurt). In the process of such processing, not only harmful, but also beneficial microorganisms, so necessary for our body, died. As a result, the shelf life of such yogurt can reach 30 days or more.

However, even though all useful biological cultures die during heat treatment, “lifeless” yogurt can bring certain benefits to your body, because it is rich in proteins, carbohydrates and fats, vitamins and minerals.

1. Say yes to prebiotics

Prebiotics (fiber and inulin) are added to some yogurts, compounds that feed on beneficial bacteria. Therefore, yogurts with prebiotics have certain advantages over regular yogurts.

1. Only natural fillers

There are two main types of fruit yogurts:

• with pieces of fruit (apple, strawberry, peach, etc.) processed at high temperature;
• with jam, which often contains flavorings, thickeners and sugar.

In the case of the first yogurt, you will read the phrase “cherry pieces” (“cherry”) in the composition of the product, in the second case - “cherry filler: ...”.