Lab Report of Food Chem Essay

As a part of our food chemistry and biochemistry assignment, we were told by our lecturer to do research on a certain food products based on articles we can find on magazines and newspapers. Then we were to criticize certain articles comparing with articles found on the internet. I chose yoghurt. It is widely known as a healthy product and a substitute for many products such as heavy cream or coconut milk. It is a dairy product where we can obtain it from the cow’s milk. The milk will undergo bacterial fermentation to become yoghurt. Dairy yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. ulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus bacteria. In addition, other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are also sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt. Yogurt is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. It has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk. Lactose-intolerant individuals can sometimes tolerate yogurt better than other dairy products, because the lactose in the milk is converted to glucose and galactose, and partially fermented to lactic acid, by the bacterial culture. Yogurt containing live cultures has been found effective in a randomized trial at preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Yogurt contains varying amounts of fat. There is non-fat (0% fat), low-fat (usually 2% fat) and plain or whole milk yogurt (4% fat). A study published in the International Journal of Obesity (11 January 2005) also found that the consumption of low-fat yogurt can promote weight loss, especially due to the calcium in the yogurt. But there are scientists who are arguing that yoghurt is not a healthy food after all. It also does cause certain diseases which can be avoided if we ake yoghurt in a lower level. We will see more about yoghurt in this paper. Discussion Supporting points All of the articles I found about yoghurts only talked about the benefits of yoghurt. it says that it is a very good substitute for cream, coconut milk and even ice cream, since it contains lactobacillus which is good for our digestive and immune system. It is rich in potassium, calcium, protein and B vitamins. It is also lower in cholesterol. An advantage of yogurt is that it is a probiotic, which means that it contains â€Å"friendly† bacteria that help clean your intestines from â€Å"bad† bacteria. As a result of eating yogurt, you can have a healthy balance of intestinal micro flora to promote optimal ability to absorb nutrients. You can eat yogurt to provide your intestines with friendly bacteria like lactobacillus acidophilus, which are killed when you take antibiotics, according to the National Centre for Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Yoghurt also prevents colon cancer. It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol level. It strengthens the immune system by preventing constipation and bloating. It reduces inflammation. It also improves mineral absorption. It prevents harmful bacteria. It promotes healthy bacteria and enzyme. Calcium with can be obtained from yoghurt also steadies your appetite and helps reduce mood swings and tension. Ice cream can be swapped to frozen yoghurt. Just freeze your regular yoghurt and add some mixed berries to add taste. Criticizing points Eating more calories than you burn makes you fat. That said, if you don’t want to count calories, and you eat yogurt a lot, stick with low fat or non-fat. If you like fruit yogurt, just buy a big container of Plain and add fresh fruit to it. You’ll save a lot of calories and get more fibre, which helps you to maintain a healthy weight. Yogurt can be a staple in a healthy diet, providing you with a good source of calcium, protein, vitamin D and potassium. Picking any yogurt brand and eating it in excess, however, can contribute to problems such as weight gain, high cholesterol and heart disease. The many yogurt brands in your supermarket fall across the nutrition spectrum, from heart-healthy to fatty, sugar-filled products little better for you than candy. Read yogurt labels carefully to choose the healthiest type. The majority of big name yogurt brands that you find at the grocery store are actually bad for you. Why? Because they’re loaded with sugar and the milk that they use most likely comes from cows that have been pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones. Seriously, you may as well be eating candy with a steroid chaser. Even the so-called â€Å"natural† yogurts or those marked with the ever popular â€Å"organic† label. Conclusion Reading all types of articles may cause us to be confused with our choices. Any type of food, when eaten in a certain amount is safe for us. Yoghurt even though is natural food. It is very fattening. As it says in the articles, 0% fat may contain other hidden fat such as from sugar. So 0% is not 0% fat after all. Yoghurt may be high in vitamin b12 and calcium, but we must know that that is not our only source of calcium. So we should not eat the total amount of our requirement only from yoghurt. We can substitute other food products for yoghurt for a healthier choice. I personally think that yoghurt is a very healthy food and we should take it in a limited amount. We should also go for plain yoghurt and not the flavoured yoghurt as it may contain hidden sugar, saturated fat and other preservatives.