Yogurt and Fermented Foods: Smart Choices 101

Transcript:

Brandy: Hello everybody and welcome back to “Ask a Nutritionist”. This is our midweek segment of Dishing Up Nutrition. My name is Brandy Buro. I'm a registered and licensed dietitian, and today we're going to be diving into the topic of yogurt and fermented foods. Yogurt and fermented foods are promoted as a gut healthy choice, but I think there's a lot of confusion around what the best option is, especially yogurt.

So we are going to try to clarify some confusion around yogurt, answer some questions you might have, help you determine what are the best choices, what are the healthiest choices when it comes to yogurt? And if yogurt doesn't agree with you, how do you still get some gut health benefits from other foods?

So we are going to zoom out a little bit and talk more broadly about fermented foods, what they are, what are some of the health benefits, and how to choose the best options without getting too overwhelmed. So whether you love yogurt, or maybe you avoid dairy, but you're still looking for some alternative foods to support your gut health, this is the episode for you.

Is yogurt a fermented food?

So let's start with some of the basics. First, a common question that comes up a lot is, is yogurt a fermented food? Well, yes, yogurt is a fermented food, but only when it's made in the traditional method. Yogurt always starts with milk, and then specific bacteria are added, usually a lactobacillus and a streptococcus strain.

So these bacteria ferment the lactose, lactose being the natural sugar that's in milk, and it converts that sugar into lactic acid. So the fermentation process ends up thickening the milk. It gives yogurt its tangy flavor, and because the fermentation converts lactose into lactic acid, the end result is actually lower lactose content, and it also creates more live bacteria, which we know as probiotics.

So at its core, yes, yogurt is a fermented food. However, and this is important, not all yogurts that you see at the grocery store have the same health benefits. Some yogurts are fermented, but they no longer contain that beneficial bacteria. And some yogurts, because of all the additives, end up more like a dessert than a gut healthy food. So we are going to get into how to tell the differences in just a little bit.

Overviewing fermentation & its benefits

But before we go much further with the topic of yogurt, I do want to talk about fermentation in a more broad sense. Fermented foods are foods that have been transformed by bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms. So those microbes will break down the sugar and starches and convert them into acids, and even alcohol. Now, the purpose of this, at least historically, has been to preserve food, but it also ends up changing its flavor and texture, and it can make food, it can make some of those foods easier to digest.

But fermentation, it's been around for thousands of years. Many cultures have fermented food products, and long before it was recognized for all of its health benefits, it was used as a food preservation technique. It was used more as a survival technique than it was, you know, hopping on some kind of a health food trend. But over the years we have discovered that fermented foods can play an important role in our health.

So for one, like we've already kind of mentioned, fermentation, somewhat predigests certain carbohydrates and even proteins, potentially making it a little easier on your gut to digest. It can also increase the bioavailability of certain nutrients and vitamins, and because of the fermentation process and how it gives rise to more healthful bacteria, eating fermented foods introduces good bacteria into your gut microbiome. It can actually add diversity to that microbiome. All good things.

So one important thing to know here is that fermented foods on their own are not magic. Just adding a fermented food into your diet here and there, if you are consuming a lot of ultra processed foods, it's not likely to give you a lot of benefit. Much like you can't out supplement a poor diet, simply eating a fermented food here and there is not going to work wonders for you.

Fermented foods are not recommended for certain health conditions

And fermented foods are not necessarily appropriate for every person in every situation. You know, there are certain folks with active gut infections, or maybe they're going through an IBS flareup, they probably wouldn't tolerate a fermented food all that well. People with certain conditions like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or SIBO, or somebody with a histamine intolerance, they need to be particularly careful about consuming fermented foods. So it is important to remember that gut health is very individual and fermented foods don't necessarily fit in that picture for every person.

Examples of fermented foods

So let's talk about what are some examples of fermented foods? What are some things that you could incorporate into your diet on a daily basis? We've already acknowledged that yogurt could be one of those options; yogurt with live and active cultures, but there's also kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, natto, kombucha, or traditional pickles that are fermented in brine. Well, those are all great options. A lot of different ways to get the benefits of fermented foods and all the options that I just listed would contain that beneficial bacteria.

Heat or pasteurization kills off healthy bacteria from fermented foods

It is important to note though, that heat or pasteurization will kill off those healthy bacteria or those probiotics; doesn't mean that they don't still have some of those other health benefits, but you would be missing out on the probiotic aspect if they are heated or pasteurized.

So watch out for that. Think about how you're preparing it. Are you adding it to a hot food? Or where do you purchase it? If you purchase sauerkraut in the aisle in a can, that is something that has been processed with high heat methods and it wouldn't have the same gut health benefits as a sauerkraut that you purchased in the refrigerator section.

Unpasteurized versions that need refrigeration would be a better source of probiotics than those that have been heat treated, pasteurized, or maybe have vinegar added. All of those factors would kill off the live bacteria. So certainly a good clue if the product is refrigerated, that likely means it has more of those live active cultures.

More specifics about yogurt (what to look for when choosing yogurt)

Now, let's get a little more specific about yogurt. All yogurt is fermented at some point. But not all yogurts provide the same health benefits. So let's talk about what to look for when you are choosing yogurt. First off, you want to look at the label and choose a product that indicates live and active cultures.

So this shows us that the beneficial bacteria are still present in the yogurt. There are some yogurts that are heat treated after the fermentation process, so that will kill off those beneficial bacteria Again, that doesn't mean that it's harmful. But it's not going to support your gut health in the same way.

Next, you want to look for a minimal ingredients list. So you want to flip the package over, look at the ingredients list. The healthiest yogurts will usually have just milk and live cultures, and that is it. So the longer the ingredients list starts to get with, you know, maybe added sugar or artificial sweeteners, thickeners, or different gums, the health benefits really tend to drop off quickly.

All that being said, if you are not into the taste of plain yogurt, there are some yogurts on the market that have natural sweeteners. Something like stevia or monk fruit would be acceptable. That's just fine. You can even add your own.

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Difference between Greek yogurt & regular yogurt

Next , let's talk about the difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt. Greek yogurt is basically regular yogurt with some of the liquid removed, and what you're left with is more protein, so ounce for ounce. Greek yogurt has a higher concentration of protein than regular yogurt, simply because it has less water. What I found when shopping for Greek yogurt is that most Greek yogurt options in the store are fat free.

It is somewhat challenging to find a Greek yogurt that has some amount of fat remaining. So you could choose whole milk yogurt when possible because that healthy fat gives us some unique health benefits. However, if you are somebody that does prefer a fat free yogurt, that is fine.

But I do encourage you to incorporate some healthy fat, maybe some nuts or seeds, maybe some nut butter, because it can really help, it can help make you feel more satiated. It can help you absorb nutrients. It can even help regulate blood sugar, just having that extra fat in there.

More on kefir

But I, I do want to touch base a little bit on kefir. I think it often gets grouped in with yogurt. It is very similar, but the texture is usually thinner. It, it is even a little tangier in flavor. But one key difference is that it's often fermented with a larger, wider variety of that beneficial bacteria.

So it can make it even more supportive for your gut health. And sometimes it's a little easier for some people to digest. But just like with yogurt, we need to be careful about the additives, especially the added sugar. So that could be a hidden source of added sugar.

Additives to avoid

And I do want to talk a little bit more about added sugar. Plain yogurt naturally does contain a small amount of sugar. And that's coming from the lactose, but flavored yogurts often contain a lot of added sugar. You know, in some cases I'm seeing like four to five extra teaspoons of added sugar in a three, three quarters, or a cup serving.

That's a lot. All that added sugar can counteract all those gut health benefits. So if you want to add some sweetness or a little bit of flavor, I encourage you to get the plain yogurt and add your own. You can add fresh fruit. You could add a sprinkle of cinnamon, like I mentioned earlier, monk fruit or stevia extract would be acceptable natural sweeteners.

You could even add a little bit of honey or maple syrup. I would just try to keep in mind how much you're using because honey and maple syrup is sugar, so I would recommend limiting your added honey or maple syrup to about a teaspoon per cup of yogurt.

Summary of healthiest yogurt options

Now, all that being said, let's just go through a summary of what the healthiest yogurt options are from my perspective. So I encourage you to look for one that contains live cultures, has no or very little added sugar or no artificial sweeteners, and one that provides protein and ideally a little bit of healthy fat.

Finally pick one that is going to work for you and something that you tolerate. So for many people, that looks like plain Greek yogurt or whole milk yogurt. Again, a little bit of healthy fat can help with satiety, improve nutrient absorption, and help stabilize your blood sugar. And I found that a little bit of healthy fat in the mix makes it taste better. It's a lot less tart and tangy than the fat-free. So at least for me, I don't have to add much to it to make it taste good or appealing.

Dairy free options

Now, let's say you're lactose intolerant or you just don't tolerate dairy at all. If you’re lactose intolerant, sometimes you can tolerate a little bit of yogurt because a lot of that lactose has been converted into lactic acid. For some people, yogurt is still a no-go. They're just too sensitive to dairy.

So if dairy does not work for you, you are not out of options. There are some non-dairy yogurt products out there that are considered fermented foods, but keep in mind, there's a lot of different products out there, so you still have to be very careful and read labels because there are some non-dairy yogurts that are simply plant milks with a thickener added.

So the best non-dairy options that I've found are coconut, almond, or cashew based yogurts that have the live cultures added. So again, you want to look for live and active cultures on the label. Look at the ingredients list and look for the unsweetened varieties. And because plant milks are naturally low in protein, you're going to have to add the protein into that.

So one suggestion I have is adding a scoop of protein powder or maybe even collagen powder or having some other kind of protein on the side. Maybe it's a couple eggs or a meat stick. Just be aware that those plant-based yogurts are not naturally a good protein option, although they are still counted as a fermented food if they contain those live and active cultures and they can offer some gut health benefits.

And if yogurt alternatives are still not calling to you, remember there are all sorts of fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi or even a sugar free kombucha that maybe you enjoy better or tolerate better. So there's really no one single healthiest fermented food. The best fermented food for you is the one that you tolerate, the one that you enjoy eating, and the one that you can consistently consume to get all those health benefits.

For some people that's yogurt, but for others it might be sauerkraut or kimchi. Something to note is that different fermented foods do contain different strains of bacteria and that variety, that diversity can be really helpful for your gut. More is not always better. So I like to think of these foods as more of an accent or a condiment to your meal, not necessarily as the main event of a meal. Because they do contain live bacteria, it is possible to overdo it, and that can be counterproductive for some people and their gut health.

Recap

So let's do a quick recap of what we learned today. Yogurt is a fermented food. But not all yogurts provide the same benefits. Fermented foods in general can support gut health by improving digestion and by adding to the diversity of your gut microbiome.

The best yogurt options are going to be plain and minimally processed and contain those live cultures. There are dairy free yogurt alternatives that can also be considered a fermented food and offer some gut health benefits, and there's really no single best fermented food. The best choice for you is what you tolerate and you can incorporate into your diet consistently.

Gut health really isn't about chasing the latest trends or super foods. It is about choosing real foods first, real foods that your body tolerates well. And building consistency over time, and incorporating some of these fermented foods into your diet regularly.

Well, that wraps up our discussion for today. If you found this episode helpful, share it with somebody, maybe somebody that's confused about yogurt or reading labels, or maybe somebody that has been told that they have to eat yogurt in order to get some of those gut health benefits. Hopefully this episode clarified some questions you had and sets the record straight. If there's a different topic that you'd like us to answer on “Ask a Nutritionist”, please visit our Facebook group, Dishing Up Nutrition,

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Or you could send us an email at email@weightandwellness.com. Well, thank you so much for listening today. I'll catch you next time.