- Osteoporosis risk – Yogurt is a great source of calcium. Yogurt-supplied lactic acid aids in the digestion of milk calcium. An average serving can supply 30 to 40 percent of the recommended adult daily requirement of calcium. A Washington University School of Medicine study concluded that getting calcium through food sources rather than calcium supplements was a more effective way of boosting bone growth.
- GI tract health – Eating yogurt can help your entire digestive system maintain wellness because of the probiotics they contain. They are living organisms, which, if we eat in adequate amounts, have numerous health benefits. Yogurt raises the lactobacteria levels found in the colon to enhance functioning, maintaining a balance of bacterial microflora in the gut. This may decrease the chances of colon cancer because yogurt binds to cancer-producing bile acids. And because yogurt is such a rich source of calcium, this food also discourages excessive cell growth, which may be another cancer-fighting characteristic.
- Absorption of minerals and proteins -- According to Weight Watchers, yogurt has 50 times more vitamin B-3, 30 times more B-12 and 14 times more vitamin A than a comparable serving of milk. Yogurt is considered to be “grow” food by some experts because its easy digestibility, plus proteins and lactic acid aid in the increased absorption of minerals contributing to growth. In other words, it is easy on the gut.
- Boosts immunity – Eating yogurt could boost your immune response. It is thought that when probiotics raise levels of interferons, or signaling cells, in the blood, the number of white blood cells in the bloodstream increases overall. This is due to the signaling proteins, which heighten other cells’ anti-viral and pathogenic defenses.