It’s no secret that the gut microbiome is one of my favorite emerging areas of nutrition research. You can read my post on it here. A balanced microflora teaming with “good” bacteria is associated with the following…
– Enhancing immune function
– Antagonizing pathogenic bacteria from colonizing
– Aiding digestion and elimination
– Transforming and promoting excretion of toxic substances
– Ameloriating symptoms of Chrohns Disease, IBS and other gut abnormalities
Probiotics are live bacterial cultures contained in food that confer a health benefit by assisting the body’s naturally ocurring gut flora. Yogurt is a coveted source.
I recently dabbled in the art of yogurt making which I have found painless and worth the effort. The result is a tart and bolder product than most commercial brands, free of lactose (which a large majority of adults are intolerant to) and notably richer in probiotics than commercial brands because of the longer fermentation time. If you are interested in giving it a try, I recommend this yogurt maker as I have had great success with it!
Side note: One of my friends and mentors, Dr. Mario Kratz, is doing great research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle on the suggested greater health benefits attributed to high fat dairy on all metabolic parameters. Definitely some “food for thought” as I predict some changes in the dietary guidelines in the imminent future concerning dairy consumption. Time just posted a great article on the topic and quoted him- if you are interested in reading more.
- 1 pint organic half/half
- 3 pints organic whole milk
- Yogurt Starter
- Bring 1 pint half/half and 3 pints or whole milk to a slow boil to a temperature of 185 F.
- Cool down your product to 105 F and add your starter culture.
- Put mixture into the yogurt cooker, seal and plug it in. Allow it to sit for 24 hours so that the lactose will be consumed by your starter.
- Put your finished product in the fridge and enjoy!
- * I haven't tried with low fat or non fat yogurt but I plan to next! I think it would work just fine with a lower fat content dairy product.