The menstrual period is a special and long-lasting time for women, and it comes with many inconveniences. There are many dietary requirements, such as avoiding raw, cold, and spicy foods. So, can women drink yogurt during their period? What are the precautions for drinking yogurt during menstruation?
Women should be cautious about drinking yogurt during their period. Yogurt itself does not affect menstruation, but because yogurt is generally stored cold, women should avoid spicy, irritating, and raw or cold foods during their period. Therefore, they should be cautious about drinking yogurt. Even if they do drink it, they should not consume yogurt that has just been taken directly from the refrigerator.
Yogurt is suitable for most people. It is suitable for those with a weak body, insufficient qi and blood, malnutrition, and intestinal dryness or constipation; it is suitable for patients with high cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and fatty liver; it is suitable for cancer patients, especially those with digestive tract cancers; it is suitable for people with dry skin and can also be used as a beauty food. Long-term, moderate consumption of yogurt by women can keep the skin moisturized, delicate, and shiny.
However, people with excessive stomach acid should not eat too much yogurt; patients after gastrointestinal surgery, or those with diarrhea or other intestinal diseases are not suitable for drinking yogurt. Women during their period should also be cautious about drinking yogurt.
How to drink yogurt during your period
Because women cannot eat raw or cold food during their period, if they want to drink yogurt, it is best to let it sit at room temperature for a while until it is no longer cold. This way, it will not harm the body and can effectively replenish nutrients. However, note that you should not heat the yogurt, as this will kill the active lactic acid bacteria and weaken its nutritional value.
In addition, pay attention to the type of yogurt you choose. Currently, there are two common types of yogurt products on the market. One is traditional yogurt, made by fermenting fresh milk with two types of bacteria. The other is probiotic yogurt, which is made by adding two more types of lactic acid bacteria (probiotics) to the traditional yogurt. It is often labeled with "probiotics." Probiotic yogurt must contain active lactic acid bacteria. In addition to the series of beneficial metabolites produced during the fermentation of lactic acid bacteria, the active lactic acid bacteria it contains also help to regulate the balance of the human body's intestinal microecology.
Traditional yogurt does not contain active lactic acid bacteria, but yogurt with inactive lactic acid bacteria also has nutritional value. Because during the fermentation process, the lactic acid bacteria consume the lactose and produce a series of metabolites such as vitamins and enzymes, which are beneficial to the human body. Women can choose the yogurt product that is suitable for their own needs.
Precautions for drinking yogurt during your period
Women can drink yogurt after bringing it to room temperature during their menstrual period, as yogurt is very beneficial to women's health. However, pay attention to the following points when drinking yogurt:
1. It is best to drink yogurt after a meal. Drinking a large amount of yogurt on an empty stomach is not good for your health. Under normal conditions, the pH value of human gastric juice is between 1 and 3. When the stomach is empty, the gastric juice is acidic, with a pH value below 2, which is not suitable for the growth of active lactic acid bacteria in yogurt. Only when the stomach's pH value is higher can the lactic acid bacteria in the yogurt grow fully, which is beneficial to human health. Therefore, about two hours after a meal, when the gastric juice is diluted, is the best time to drink yogurt for absorbing its nutrients.
In addition, if you drink yogurt on an empty stomach, it is easy to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract to empty quickly, and the nutrients in the yogurt will be excreted before they can be fully digested and absorbed. Drinking yogurt after a meal can reduce irritation and allow the yogurt to be slowly absorbed in the stomach.
2. Drinking yogurt at night is better for supplementing calcium. Yogurt is a good source of calcium in food. From the perspective of calcium supplementation, drinking yogurt at night has more benefits. The period from midnight to early morning is when the body's blood calcium level is lowest, which is beneficial for the absorption of calcium from food. At the same time, there are fewer factors affecting calcium absorption during this period. Although milk also contains a high amount of calcium, compared to it, the lactic acid in yogurt combines with calcium, which can better promote calcium absorption. However, you must brush your teeth in time after drinking yogurt at night, otherwise certain bacteria and acidic substances in the yogurt can damage your teeth.
3. Yogurt cannot be heated. Once yogurt is heated by steaming or boiling, the large number of active lactic acid bacteria it contains will be killed, its physical properties will also change, causing separation and precipitation, and the unique flavor and texture of yogurt will disappear. The most valuable thing in yogurt is the lactic acid bacteria. It can not only break down the lactose in milk to produce lactic acid, which increases the acidity of the intestine, but also has the effect of inhibiting the growth of spoilage bacteria and weakening the toxins they produce in the intestine. If the yogurt is heated, the lactic acid bacteria will be killed, and its nutritional value and health benefits will be reduced. Therefore, yogurt should not be heated. Women who drink yogurt during their period should let it sit at room temperature for a while before drinking.