10 Great Uses of Yogurt

July 05, 2013

Yogurt, a dairy product made by fermenting milk with bacteria has many uses other than for breakfast. It also has a lot of health and beauty benefits.

Fermentation of lactose by one or more varieties of bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus thermophilus, and others) produces lactic acid which turns milk into yogurt and gives it its texture and taste. Those cultures also give yogurt its health-boosting qualities.

When shopping for yoghurt for the health benefits, look for those labelled with "Contain Live and Active Cultures"

Below are 10 good uses of Yoghurt...

1. Lower Cholesterol

Taking yogurt that contains Lactobacillus acidophilus and a combination of Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus thermophilus seems to lower cholesterol for people with borderline to moderate high cholesterol levels. This type of yogurt is thought to lower total and “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol but does not raise “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

2. Help with lactose intolerance
As an alternative to milk, eating yogurt with live cultures seems to improve lactose tolerance in children and adults who cannot absorb lactose.

3. Enhance your immune system
Yogurt with active cultures enhances the body’s immune system by increasing the production of gamma interferons, which play a key role in fighting certain allergies and viral infections. Other studies indicate that yogurt can help prevent gastrointestinal infections (lactic acid helps inhibit the growth of food-borne pathogens, and yogurt cultures produce bacteriocins which restore natural intestinal cultures).

4. Relieve diarrhea
Antibiotics may kill good bacteria in addition to the ones they’re meant to kill, leading to stomach discomfort and diarrhea–but the Lactobacillus acidophilus in yogurt produce bacteriocins which restore natural intestinal culture. Which is why yogurt is used for restoring normal bacteria in the intestine after antibiotics and for treating antibiotic-related diarrhea and acute diarrhea in children. Yogurt formula given as a replacement for milk formula in infants and young children seems to relieve persistent diarrhea.

5. Treat yeast Infections
Along with the healthy bacteria which may help restore the normal bacteria in the digestive tract, the same can work for vagina yeast infections. Yogurt is used for treating and preventing vaginal yeast as well as bacteria infections, and for preventing urinary tract infections.
Some women use yogurt inside the vagina for treating yeast infections and bacterial infections in pregnancy, but most studies have looked at consuming yogurt orally for this purpose

6. Use for a DIY facial
Lactic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid, using it on your face as yogurt is so mild that even highly sensitive skin can take it. Yogurt can even out skin tone, fade freckles over time, and do a wonderful job to tighten pores and cleanse skin. For a yoghurt facial, clean your face, apply a thin layer of plain yogurt to face, throat, and chest, and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water. You can use this treatment every day.

7. Soothe canker sores

A canker sore is a painful, open sore in the mouth. Canker sores are white or yellow and surrounded by a bright red area. They are not cancerous. A canker sore is not the same as a fever blister (cold sore). The medical term for Canker sore is "Aphthous Stomatitis." Eat two servings of yogurt a day until the sores clear.

8. Soothe sunburn pain
It is summer, and many of us will be under the sun for long periods of time, and as a result will get sunburn. To soothe sunburn pain, spread yogurt on affected area and let it sit for twenty minutes–then rinse clean with lukewarm warm water.

9. Make yogurt cheese
Yogurt cheese has a consistency similar to cream cheese, but is lower in fat and has all that healthy bacteria. It is used as a spread for bagels, toast, and crackers, or as a healthy substitute for cream cheese in many recipes calling for cream cheese, even cheesecake. To make yogurt cheese, empty a pint of yogurt into a large, fine-meshed strainer or colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or yogurt strainer. Place a bowl under the strainer to catch the liquid (whey) that drains from the yogurt.

10. Use for cereal

This is my personal favorite. You can substitute yogurt for milk with your cereal. For great taste, you can add some fruit, such as blueberries, bananas, grapes, strawberries (which I personally like). It is healthy and does not contain a crazy amount of calories.