Re-Think Your Yogurt by Dr. Janna House, Chiropractor, London, ON

Yogurt is trending. Yogurt consumption in London has doubled over the last decade [1]. Greek yogurt, the strained, extra-creamy, higher protein yogurt, has become particularly popular in the last few years.

Yogurt seems worthy of our devotion. It’s a good source of protein, calcium, and probiotics, and it’s easy to pack and go for snacks and in lunch pails.

When choosing yogurt, go plain, go full fat, and go organic.

Here’s why.

The Science Behind It…

Prepared in the traditional way, whereby living cultures ferment raw milk from pasture-raised cows, yogurt is an excellent food source. Sadly, when it is prepared by the modern dairy industry and makes its way to our grocery store fridges, much of its goodness is depleted, and it is little more than creamy junk food. The types of yogurt I’m talking about including any yogurt made with conventional dairy, whether it’s low fat, no fat, full fat, flavored, plain, Greek or regular.

The primary problem with all conventional yogurt is that it is made with milk from cows that are not given their natural diet of grass, instead, they are fed corn and soybeans.

The problem with that diet is that most corn and soybeans grown in Canada are genetically modified [2]. As well, corn is high in Omega-6 fats, meaning yogurt made with milk from corn-fed cows is also high in Omega-6 fats [3] [4], and Omega-6 fats are pro-inflammatory which promote inflammation, an underlying issue in most chronic illnesses and disease [5].

In addition, milk from conventionally fed cows lacks nutrition.

Organic milk has been measured to have significantly higher levels of antioxidants than does conventional milk [6], beta carotene (vitamin A) and tocopherols (vitamin E) [7] and anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fats.

Finally, most of the yogurt on our grocery store shelves contain chemical additives, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and flavorings to make it taste better or to give it the creamy texture we like.

Watch out for additives like these: demithylpolysiloxane (a defoaming agent in low-fat yogurts) [8], carrageenan (an additive known to bring on gastrointestinal issues) [9], xanthan gum [10], modified cornstarch [11], food starch, pectin and gelatin and artificial colors [12] and flavors [13].

Why it is healthy to consume full-fat dairy yogurt (unless you have a sensitivity to dairy or you are lactose intolerant)…

Whole-milk dairy, which includes yogurt, is associated with important health benefits and can help with four of the most popular health problems people are facing today.

Palmitoleic acid, naturally occurring in full-fat dairy, protects against insulin resistance and may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes [14].

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fat naturally found in cow’s milk, significantly lowers the risk of colorectal cancer [15].

Consumption of full-fat dairy products may play a role in weight regulation. One study suggested that women who ate at least one serving of full-fat dairy a day gained less weight over a period of time compared to those who ate low-fat or no dairy products [16].

Another study found that people who ate the most full-fat dairy were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who ate low-fat dairy [17].

What This Means to You…

If you like yogurt, please try to eat plain, whole milk, organic yogurt, that you can sweeten with fruit, or a natural sweetener like stevia, maple syrup, unpasteurized honey, chicory root, or monk fruit. Better yet, make your own yogurt with raw, grass-fed whole milk.

When I buy yogurt, I look for plain, organic yogurt with as high a fat content as I can find. The ingredient list is short: organic milk, bacterial culture.

Sources…
https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/yogurts-growth-primarily-sources-to-young-adults-and-in-home-breakfast-reports-npd/
http://gmoinquiry.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/where-in-the-world-gm-crops-foods.pdf
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/is-it-healthier-to-drink-grass-fed-or-organic-milk/article20726402/
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311932.2016.1142818?src=recsys&
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3335257/
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.3235/pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222402797_Fat-soluble_vitamin_contents_and_fatty_acid_composition_in_organic_and_conventional_Italian_dairy_product
http://foodbabe.com/2013/10/22/sillyputty/
https://draxe.com/what-is-carrageenan/
https://draxe.com/what-is-xanthan-gum/
http://healthwyze.org/reports/261-understanding-foods-labeled-modified-what-is-modified-food-starch-and-should-it-be-avoided
https://draxe.com/food-dyes-linked-to-cancer/

What are Artificial Flavors?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21173413
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16210722
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17158433
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20372173