Everyone is on the yogurt bandwagon these days. It’s become extremely popular. Just go to any grocery store and check the dairy aisle. You’ll see that more space is taken up by brands and flavors of yogurt than anything else.
Go look. We’ll wait…
See, this product is the new Wonder Bread, embraced by the people for its many health benefits.
What Are Some Of the Benefits Of Yogurt?
There are many nutrients that come with each 6 oz. serving of yogurt. You’ll gain about 9 grams of animal proteins, along with plenty of the following:
- calcium
- vitamin B2
- vitamin B-12
- potassium
- magnesium
Yogurt also contains probiotics. These live strains of good bacteria are found in the gut and are thought to aid in digestion and support the immune system. Research on these good germs indicates that they may help you heal faster from wounds, lower blood pressure, and discourage yeast infections. Both of which are important concerns for diabetics.
Sounds great, right?
Wait a second.
The Dark Side Of Yogurt
Many of those cutely packaged cups of goo with fun flavors resting on dairy shelves are also loaded with added sugar. The average 6 oz. serving of yogurt contains about 18 grams of added sugar. That’s on top of the 5 or so grams of natural milk sugars already present.
What does 18 grams of sugar look like? It’s a little over four teaspoons of the white stuff. Or in other terms, it’s about 1/3 of the recommended daily limit of added sugars for adults. If you eat three yogurts a day, you’re already at your limit. You can’t have any more sugar.
As you can see, this isn’t such a great thing for diabetics.
How Can You Avoid the Sugar In Yogurt?
The benefits of yogurt can certainly outweigh the drawbacks, especially if you make wise purchases. Look for plain yogurt in the grocery store and add your sweeteners at home. You can mix in fruits, honey, or even artificial sweetener until you like the flavor.
Plain Greek yogurt also contains a lot of protein, which can help you feel fuller for longer. This is a good option for those who are on a diet.
Avoid fat-free yogurts, as the manufacturers usually add sugars to help counter the loss of flavor from removing the fat.
Also, check those labels, including the nutritional information and the ingredients list. If sugar is one of the first three or four ingredients on the list, you can assume there is a large quantity of it in the yogurt.
[expand title=”References“]
Consumer Corner: Yogurt Market: Current Status and Consumption Trends. URL Link. Accessed June 5, 2017.
How to Read a Yogurt Label. URL Link. Accessed June 5, 2017.
The Benefits of Yogurt. URL Link. Accessed June 5, 2017.
Revealed: The Shocking Amount Of Sugar In Your ‘Healthy’ Yogurt – and the Worst Culprits. URL Link. Accessed June 5, 2017.
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