5 Health Benefits of Greek Yogurt

Greek Yogurt vs Regular Yogurt

To understand the benefits of Greek Yogurt we must first ask ourselves “What exactly is yogurt?” and then “What makes Greek Yogurt different?”. Yogurt is generally made by allowing a consortium of bacteria to grow in milk converting the lactose sugar in the milk to lactic acid. This causes the pH of the milk to drop, and the proteins in the milk drop out of suspension and become a gel. This gel has solid bits and liquid bits – the liquid bits are called whey. Greek yogurt is strained to remove some of this whey. Other types of yogurt are not strained, and the result is that Greek Yogurt is a lot thicker and creamier.

 The Science Behind Yogurt

You will often see Yogurt marketed as “containing live AB” cultures, or “probiotic cultures”. Yogurt is generally made with a mixture of the keystone microbe Streptococcus thermophilus that produces folic acid (Vitamin B9) that enables the growth of other lactic acid bacteria such as various species and strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii. Many other beneficial microbes can also be used in this microbial dance that makes yogurt, and the more species used, the more rich and good the yogurt tastes.

The microbes in yogurt consume lactose and other sugars and produce lactic acid – lactic acid inhibits the growth of yeasts. In many cases, increasing the amount of lactic acid and lactic acid bacteria present in your gastrointestinal tract will decrease the amount of yeast in your system. Many yeasts can make one crave sugar, hence lactic acid bacteria help us get rid of these yeasts that are trying to make us eat sugar for their own selfish needs and damaging us.

5 Health Benefits of Greek Yogurt

With this understanding of the basic microbiology of yogurt, we can have a look at 5 health benefits of Greek Yogurt that help us manage or reach a healthy state:

Probiotic Power House

Greek Yogurt can be a healthy source of beneficial probiotic microbes. If you buy Yogurt directly from a producer and consume it quickly it will contain very high concentrations of probiotic lactic acid-producing bacteria that will defeat problematic yeast in your system. This will improve your health. There is a rapid decline in probiotic microbes with time, so fresh yogurt is the best.

Sugar Craving Management

Greek Yogurt may assist in managing sugar cravings. Lactic acid inhibits or slows the growth of yeast. In a sugar-rich environment, yeast can double in numbers every 20-30 minutes producing gas and bloating. They consume sugar and can use their biochemistry to make you crave sweet food. Lactic acid can increase the time taken for yeast to divide to many hours or even a day – in many cases, this will cause the yeast to decline in numbers and stop being a problem. After a few days of a low-sugar diet with yogurt and probiotic supplements, you will notice a rapid decrease in cravings for sweet food which assists in reducing weight.

Enhanced Probiotic Effectiveness for Gut Health

Greek Yogurt can create an environment in which probiotics are more effective. Many sources suggest yogurt is a good source of probiotics – the reality is that shop-bought yogurt often has a small number of viable cells – but it has an environment in which probiotics can thrive – consuming yogurt makes probiotic supplements that do contain a lot of viable probiotic microbes more effective.

High Protein Content

Due to it having had more of the liquid whey removed, Greek yogurt contains a high protein content. A quick scan of “normal” yogurt shows a protein content in the range of 4%, with Greek Yogurt being in the 10% range. This makes a big difference in a high-protein diet.

Healthy Fats

“Normal” Yogurts seem to range in the 4-8% fat range, while Greek Yogurt ranges in the 10-13% fat range. These are generally beneficial fats, and as part of a low carbohydrate diet, they will provide energy and assist in maintaining a healthy brain and body. Low-fat yogurt probably should not be referred to in polite company as it is an obscene symptom of modern commercial confusion so we will ignore it here.

Maximizing Greek Yogurt's Benefits

It is very important to re-state that Greek yogurt unless you make it yourself and consume it warm out of the incubator, is probably a poor source of microbes. This does not mean it is useless – you just need to use the food correctly, as we will detail now. I find that eating Greek yogurt with a low-carb breakfast/brunch gives me a great day! It is very important to remember that a meal with Greek yogurt is good for your microbiome and is an excellent “vector meal” that can help transport additional probiotic supplements into your intestinal tract. Probiotics are easily killed by stomach acid – your body produces this acid in response to a lack of acid in the stomach – if you consume gentle acids such as lactic acid in Greek yogurt, your body finds little need to produce additional strong acid (hydrochloric acid) to drop the pH of your meal. The result is that there is a far higher chance of survival of probiotic microorganisms consumed with your meal. This means that you will derive maximal benefit from a probiotic supplement if you consume it in this way.

Two examples of probiotic vector meals that I consume with my probiotic supplements. Both are designed to have Greek Yogurt to provide lactic acid – and some lime/lemon for additional organic acid. The vegetable-rich Swiss Chard and Egg on the right, and the harvest scramble on the left both provide plenty of “nooks and crannies” for the probiotics from my supplement to hide, attach, and multiply. Never underestimate the magic of carrots for gut health.

Writer: Dr. G. Cambray Dr. Cambray has a PhD in applied microbiology and works in several fields including research into products that enhance the human microbiome. He is a beekeeper, gardener, and mushroom cultivator who believes you are what you eat. In this regard, you must pay special attention to the quality of the food and supplements you consume to ensure you can be the best version of yourself.

Reviewed By: Dr. K. Huffman Dr. Kevin D. Huffman, D.O., is a board-certified bariatric physician renowned for his expertise in treating obesity. With over 10,000 patients and a reputation as a national leader in bariatric medicine, he has trained hundreds of healthcare providers. Dr. Huffman develops protocols and training materials for medical societies, pharmaceutical companies, patients, and hospitals.