Whether you’re eating it for breakfast or with some fruit and honey as a dessert, yogurt is a smart addition to your diet. It is widely known as a healthy food for the many immediate and long-term benefits it provides. If you still need reasons to pick up some yogurt during your next trip to the grocery store, here are a few ways doing so will benefit you.

Why Yogurt Is a Healthy Food

1. High in Protein

Yogurt is high in a variety of different protein types, including casein and whey. These proteins are easily digestible, preventing stomach trouble, and release peptides and amino acids in the body. These have been found to help reduce abdominal fat and lower harmful cholesterol levels. Amino acids help with maintaining muscle mass as well.

2. Helps Fight Disease

Yogurt is a probiotic healthy food. This is because it contains beneficial bacterial cultures. These live microorganisms serve helpful purposes in the body, such as assisting in digestion, producing vitamins, or killing disease-causing cells. They have also been connected to boosting the body’s immune system and combating conditions ranging from asthma to periodontal disease.

3. Improves Digestion

Yogurt has different types of carbohydrates, each providing its own benefits. The main one is lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose. This is beneficial in improving your digestion of dairy and alleviating lactose intolerance. This healthy food also contains oligosaccharides, which have prebiotic properties and feed the helpful bacteria in the body, improving digestion.

Lori’s Natural Food Center provides the community of Greater Rochester, NY, and the Finger Lake area with fresh local produce and healthy foods. This family-owned shop has been in the community since 1981, when Lori and her father started selling their own backyard-grown produce. They are dedicated to being a GMO-free grocery store. Learn more about what they offer online and call (585) 424-2323 to ask what they have in stock.