Six Common Mistakes to Avoid When Drinking Yogurt

Yogurt, a healthy dairy product frequently consumed, is praised for its many benefits, such as providing calcium and improving gut health. But did you know? If you fall into the traps of drinking yogurt, not only will it fail to provide health benefits, it can also be detrimental to your health.

Mistake One: Yogurt equals yogurt drink

Today, not only is there a dazzling array of yogurt varieties, but yogurt drinks are also emerging. Yogurt is made from high-quality milk fermented by lactic acid bacteria. Yogurt drinks, on the other hand, are just a type of beverage, not milk or yogurt. The nutritional content of the two varies greatly; the nutritional value of a yogurt drink is only about one-third that of yogurt.

Mistake Two: The more yogurt you drink, the healthier you are

You should drink yogurt in moderation. Otherwise, it can easily lead to excessive stomach acid, affecting the gastric mucosa and the secretion of digestive enzymes, reducing appetite, and disrupting the body's electrolyte balance. This is especially true for those who already have high stomach acid, often feel weak and bloated, and should not drink too much of it.

For healthy people, it's more appropriate to drink one or two cups a day, which is about 250-500 grams.

Homemade Yogurt in a Bread Machine

Mistake Three: Yogurt is more nutritious than milk

In fact, in terms of nutritional value, the difference between the two is not significant. However, compared to milk, yogurt is easier to digest and absorb, which improves the utilization rate of its nutrients. Furthermore, most of the sugar in milk is lactose. Some adults lack the lactase enzyme in their digestive juices, which affects the digestion, absorption, and utilization of lactose, causing stomach discomfort or even diarrhea after drinking milk, a condition known as "lactose intolerance." In such cases, yogurt can be used as a substitute for milk.

Mistake Four: Cleverly pairing yogurt with other foods

Yogurt pairs well with many foods, especially for breakfast with bread and pastries, offering a good mix of textures and rich nutrition. But never eat it with high-fat processed meats like sausages and cured meats. Because processed meats contain nitrites, which can react with amines in yogurt to form nitrosamines, a carcinogen. Yogurt is also not suitable to be taken with certain medications, such as antibiotics like chloramphenicol and erythromycin, and sulfonamides, as they can kill or destroy the lactic acid bacteria in yogurt. Yogurt is well-suited to be paired with starchy foods, such as rice, noodles, buns, steamed buns, and bread.

Homemade Yogurt

Mistake Five: Yogurt can satisfy hunger

When the stomach is empty, its acidity is high, and the unique lactic acid bacteria in yogurt can be easily killed by stomach acid, greatly diminishing its health benefits. Therefore, it is not advisable to drink yogurt on an empty stomach. It is most suitable to drink yogurt 1-2 hours after a meal.

Mistake Six: Yogurt is suitable for everyone

Although yogurt is good, it is not suitable for everyone. Patients with diarrhea or other intestinal diseases should be cautious when drinking yogurt after intestinal damage; infants under 1 year old should not drink yogurt.

In addition, diabetic patients, patients with atherosclerosis, and patients with cholecystitis and pancreatitis should preferably avoid sugar-containing full-fat yogurt, as it can easily aggravate their condition.

Homemade Yogurt