The
making of yogurt probably originated in Asia and Eastern
Europe thousands of years ago; a response to the need
to find a way to preserve milk beyond the first few
hours after opening. With this came the discovery of
its many dietary and medicinal benefits. It is now used
in many differing and exciting ways, especially on the
continent, from marinating, to use in side-salads and
curries. The British are generally more conservative
in their use of yogurt, but it is quickly becoming a
very popular dessert or accompaniment to breakfast cereals
and is with the increasing trend towards healthier eating,
it is at last being recognized and is gradually being
used in an increasing variety of dishes.
Yogurt can
be made from sheep's, cows, goats or even Soya milk.
A culture of special bacteria is added to the boiled
milk, which is then kept warm for several hours during
which time the bacteria multiply and convert milk sugar
(lactose) into lactic acid. It is the lactic acid, which
precipitates the curdling of the milk into yogurt at
the same time as suppressing the growth of harmful bacteria,
giving a product with a longer life. Originally (before
pasteurization) yogurt culture was produced by allowing
bacteria from the atmosphere of the local surroundings
to grow within the milk.
A little of this was then added
to fresh milk, allowing the fermentation process to
continue. A local culture was believed to be particularly
suited to people living in the region and would help
to achieve optimum health. However, in today's technological
and modern western world, local ecology has been disrupted
by pollution and mobile lifestyles, so changing yogurt
production from a local process to a large commercial
organization.
Nutritional Value:
Natural whole milk
yogurt has a similar nutritional value to whole boiled
milk, being rich in protein and minerals, especially
calcium and phosphorus. Low fat and fat free yogurts
are made from skimmed milk powder; they have a slightly
higher carbohydrate and protein content than whole milk
yogurts. The bonus is that protein, calcium and phosphorus
are more easily absorbed from yogurt than from milk
as they are partially digested during the fermentation
process.
Yogurt can be helpful in restoring the digestive
tract to its normal condition after a course of antibiotics,
which are liable to indiscriminately destroy all intestinal
bacteria, both good and bad.
Some people who are unable
to digest dairy products where the condition is due
to the loss of the enzyme lactose during adulthood can
tolerate yogurt. This enzyme converts lactose to lactic
acid and without it, any lactose ingested in milk products
will sit undigested in the intestine, attracting water
and causing bloating, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
As lactose is already converted to lactic acid during
the manufacture of yogurt, people more easily digest
it with lactose intolerance than other dairy products.
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