Yogurt Fruit Dip Recipe – The Nutritional and Health Benefits

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Yogurt fruit dip recipes are much healthier than a marshmallow fluff fruit dip or dipping fruit in chocolate. This may sound like heresy to some folks but it’s true.

Health Benefits Of Yogurt

One of the most important health benefits of yogurt is the fact most yogurts have “active cultures.” This means it has live bacteria in it. Don’t get grossed out! It’s OK. The live bacteria in most yogurts are the “good” bacteria your body needs to function correctly to stay healthy. Before buying yogurt you should check the label on side of the package to make sure it lists “live active culture” or similar wording.

Any mention of “yogurt” in this article will be referring to products with active cultures. Yogurt without active cultures is not as useful to your body. If you have the choice, doesn’t it make sense to buy the yogurt with active cultures instead of those without? Of course it makes sense. Especially when you consider they cost almost exactly the same. So, what type of conditions may yogurt be valuable in helping?

Yogurt Consumption Discourages Vaginal and Bladder Infections

After completing antibiotic therapy for a bacterial infection you should consume yogurt to restore beneficial gut bacteria. Why? Because antibiotics kill the “good” gut bacteria the same as they destroy the “bad” bacteria making you sick. It is well established that bladder infections commonly occur after a regimen of antibiotic therapy. This is because the good bacteria are wiped out leaving fertile ground for bad bacteria to colonize, multiply, and create a secondary infection after the killing effects of the antibiotic are gone.

Consuming yogurt may discourage a secondary infection from occurring. It is helpful because it restores good bacteria, which offers a protective presence. This wards off the bad bacteria. Think about this for a moment. If good bacteria are living on every space available because you ate yogurt with active cultures (or took specialized “good gut bacteria” from the pharmacy) then there is less room for bad bacteria to gain a foothold. The good bacteria literally squeeze out the bad.

One study of diabetic women revealed that yogurt consumption helped their vaginal area maintain a more acidic environment. This area of the female body is naturally more acidic to create an inhospitable environment for bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The less favorable the growing conditions the less growth of these unwanted organisms occurs. In this study the increased acidity caused by yogurt consumption discouraged the growth of Candida (yeast). Yeast infections are common in diabetics but eating yogurt decreased its occurrence.

In addition to helping fight certain infections, yogurt may be helpful with conditions such as constipation, chronic diarrhea, and inflammatory bowel disease. It appears the active cultures are responsible for these beneficial effects. Going natural is the best way to reap the most benefits from yogurt.

Yogurt Contains Calcium and Protein

Because yogurt is made from milk and other dairy products it contains calcium and protein. Yogurt will help provide some of these needed nutrients in a convenient, easily consumed form. Try this easy yogurt fruit dip recipe if you want to begin exploring this culinary delight.

Easy Yogurt Dip Recipe

One eight-ounce (8 oz.) container of plain yogurt (regular, fat-free, or low-fat is your choice)

One-tablespoon honey (it is absorbed less abruptly than table sugar so it doesn’t disrupt your body as much)

Three-tablespoons of shredded coconut.

Whisk ingredients together and serve immediately with fruit chunks.

Why Have Fruit Dips?

Why have fruit dips? Isn’t fruit alone good enough by itself? Don’t most fruits have a wonderful flavor, a great texture on the tongue, and sweetness combined into a tidy, ready-to-eat morsel? Fruit contains minerals, essential vitamins, and fiber, which maintain normal body function.

Folks who consume greater amounts of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis have less chronic diseases such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers including breast and bowel cancers. Consider adding the health benefits of yogurt to those of fruit the next time you need a snack or fun dish for a party. It is a great way to offer good healthy foods to guests who may not otherwise consider going natural and eating such foods.