Does Yogurt Help Reduce Cholesterol?

When it is about dealing with the problem of high cholesterol, it is what you eat that matters the most. While there are some foods that are known to increase cholesterol levels, there are others that can help deal with the problem. Yogurt is one of them. Yogurt has been linked with cholesterol for quite some time now and is known to be beneficial for high cholesterol patients.

Yogurt can play a significant role in lowering your cholesterol levels. There are several studies that indicate that regular consumption of yogurt can help bring down cholesterol levels. This dairy product works in more than just one way to help bring down your cholesterol levels.

Recent studies have also concluded that eating yogurt on a regular basis can help elevate the good cholesterol, also known as HDL, especially in women. In a recent study, 29 women were made to have 300 grams of full fat cholesterol. After a period of 21 weeks, there was a negligible increase in their overall cholesterol levels but a significant increase in the HDL levels.

This dairy product is known to contain live bacteria known as lactobacillus. This bacteria assimilates the cholesterol present in your system and eliminates it from the body. The bacteria present in yogurt can affect the blood cholesterol in two ways.

Firstly, when this bacteria ferments in the lower intestines, a compound known as Short Chain Fatty Acids or SCFAs is produced in the body. One of the SCFA produced in the process which is known as propinoic acid is known to reduce the synthesis of cholesterol in the body. Hence, the total amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood gets significantly reduced.

Further on, the bacteria present in yogurt is also known to work on bile acid. The bacteria breaks down the bile acid and prevents it from getting re-absorbed and recycled by the body. By breaking down the bile acids, the bacteria ensures that it is eliminated from the body and not used up again. This again contributes to lowering the overall cholesterol levels in the body.

With all this, it would not be untrue to say that yogurt can play a considerable role in bringing down cholesterol levels. Thus, incorporating yogurt into the daily diet would be a good idea for high cholesterol patients. But, one needs to be careful about the kind of yogurt you eat.

Make sure that you opt for low fat and unsweetened yogurt. Strawberry and mango yogurt do taste nice but they will be of little help in bringing down your cholesterol levels. Opt for plain yogurt with live cultures and you will be able to bring down your cholesterol levels for sure.

Eat yogurt and you will be able to bring down your cholesterol levels naturally.
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