Fermented milk products: 10 reasons why you should consume curd/yogurt

Fermented foods are defined as those foods that have been subjected to the action of good micro-organisms or enzymes to bring about desirable biochemical changes causing significant modification to the food.  There are a variety of fermented dairy products available such as curd, yogurt, buttermilk, lassi, sour cream, kefir, etc. and the ones that are most popular in the Indian diet are curds (popularly known as dahi), lassi (sweetened buttermilk), buttermilk and shrikand (drained curd with added sugar and flavour). Some of my readers requested me to do an article on “curd”, and hence this post will mainly focus on the health benefits of curd and to some extent yogurt.

Curd is a part and parcel of the Indian diet. The consumption of curd in South India is very high. A typical South Indian thali is incomplete without eating curd rice. Even in other parts of India, curd is consumed in one form or other. In North India, it is served as an accompaniment with piping hot and delicious stuffed parathas. Mishti doi is a very famous delicacy in the Eastern parts of India, especially West Bengal. It is a sweetened milk that is fermented overnight to form sweetened curd/yogurt.

Yogurt is a staple in many European countries and also in the United States of America. It is available in a variety of flavours such as blueberry, strawberry, rasberry, etc.  Greek yogurt is said to have a high protein content.

What is the difference between curd and yogurt?

Curd is generally home made, though nowadays it is also commercially available. It is prepared by adding a very small quantity of the previous day’s curd  as a starter (starter culture) to milk, mixing it uniformly, and allowing it to remain undisturbed for at least 6 to 7 hours. Fermentation causes the milk to turn into curds. The lactose (milk sugar) present in the milk gets converted into lactic acid due to the action of lactobacillus bacteria during the fermentation process.  The acidic or sour taste of curds is due to fermentation.

If the starter curd is not available, then the starter can be prepared  by either adding stems of dry red chilies or 2 green chillies to luke warm milk and keeping it in a warm place for 12 hours.

Yogurt is commercially produced in which the milk is pasteurized to 117 degrees Farenheit to remove harmful bacteria and then  bacterial cultures Lactobacillus bulgaricus (L. bulgaricus) and Streptococcus thermophilus (S. thermophilus) are added. The bacteria work together to metabolize the milk sugar or lactose to form lactic acid, among other chemicals. After fermentation, which can take three or four hours, the mixture will turn into thick and creamy yogurt. Flavoured yogurt is sweetened with artificial sweeteners or processed fruits to mask the yogurt’s acidic flavor.  Flavoured yogurts are obviously high in calories due to the addition of sweetners, in contrast to their healthy claims.

Nutritive value of curd (per 100 gms)

• Protein – 3.1 g
• Fat- 4 g
• Energy  – 60 kcal
• Calcium – 149 mg
• Phosphorus – 93 mg
• Folate-12.5 micrograms
• Riboflavin – 0.16 mg

Source: Nutritive value of Indian Foods (National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad)

Nutritive value of low- fat Greek yogurt, plain (per 100 gms)

• Protein – 9.95 g
• Energy- 73 Kcal
• Calcium- 115 mg
• Phosphorus- 137 mg
• Fat – 1.92 g
• Folate-12 micrograms
• Riboflavin-0.233 mg

Source: US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Data Central

• 

• 

  Image courtesy:Micheile Henderson from Unsplash

Health and Nutritional benefits:

1. Curd contains probiotics:  Studies that involved isolating strains of Lactobacillus bacteria from curd showed specific strains such as Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus delbrueckii exhibited probiotic properties indicating the presence of probiotics in curds.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are live bacteria that are good for us, especially to our digestive system and provide several health benefits. These are also called “good bacteria.”

2.  A suitable food option for lactose-intolerance: People who suffer from lactose intolerance can consume curds and yogurt as the lactose (milk sugar) present in the milk gets converted into lactic acid by the lactobacillus during the process of fermentation of milk, thus making digestion easier.

What is lactose intolerance?

It is the inability to digest the milk sugar (lactose) due to deficiency or absence of lactase, an enzyme responsible for digesting lactose. Persons with lactose intolerance experience bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain and flatulence when they consume milk.

3. Aids in digestion: Our ancestors always insisted on eating curd and curd rice as they felt it aids in digestion, though they were not aware what exactly was the reason behind the digestive powers of curd.  Studies have shown that fermentation results in improved digestion, especially protein digestibility, due to the action of the enzymes produced by the good microorganisms (lactobacillus) during the fermentation process.

4. A good source of calcium: Curd is a good source (149 mg/100 gms) of bio-available calcium and hence consuming curd or yogurt on a regular basis will help strengthen bones and may help prevent osteoporosis.

5. A suitable source of nutrition during diarrhea: Curd is a very good source of nutrition during diarrhea. The probiotics in curd help fight the microorganisms and also restore the good bacterial content in the gut. Plain curds or watery curd rice should work well.  A little sugar and a pinch of salt may be added to the curds if one doesn’t like the taste of plain curds.

6. Role in healing of gastric ulcer:  Probiotics have a prophylactic as well as therapeutic effect in the management of gastric ulcer. Several clinical studies have indicated that probiotics, especially lactobacillus, inhibit the development of acute gastric mucosal lesions and also accelerate the process of healing of gastric ulcers. As curd contains lactobacillus, its consumption is recommended during treatment of gastric ulcer.

7. Immunity booster: Studies have indicated that the probiotics in the curd and yogurt serve as an immunity booster by increasing resistance to diseases and also by reducing recovery time of illnesses. Treatment with antibiotics during a bacterial infection destroys the good bacteria in the gut (intestine), sometimes resulting in diarrhea.  Consuming curd or yogurt when taking antibiotics will help in restoring the good bacterial content.

8. Antioxidant properties: Studies have revealed that fermented dairy products, especially yogurt have antioxidant capacity due to the release of bioactive peptides (short chain amino acids) following the breakdown of milk proteins by the action of enzymes. However, factors such as origin of milk, milk fat and fermenting microorganism strains can affect the antioxidant activity of yogurt.

9. Perfect food for the summer season: Curd is considered a very healthy food for the summer season as it facilitates digestion and also cools the body. Buttermilk is said to be a more healthier option during hot summers.

10..  Good for the skin and effective against dandruff: Curd is used in many home beauty treatments such as skin brightening face masks. According to Mayo Clinic, the lactic acid present in the curd belongs to the “Alpha- hydroxy acid”(AHA) group, which is said to have exfoliating properties. It removes the top layer (dead cells) of the skin, thus resulting in a brightened skin tone.

Curd can either be mixed with besan (gram flour) or with honey and lemon juice to give a natural skin bleaching effect. Applying curd on the scalp is also said to have anti-dandruff effect.

Common myths about curd:

Myth #1: Curd should not be consumed in the night as it causes increased mucous production.

Curd should not be consumed in the night only for people suffering from asthma or severe cold and cough. Otherwise, it is safe to consume curds in the night. In fact, having a glass of buttermilk after dinner will aid in digestion.

Myth#2: Eating curd during monsoons makes you fall sick.

Many believe consuming curd in the monsoons (rainy season) may prove to be harmful for the body because of the cooling nature of the curd. But, on the contrary, curd helps to prevent digestive ailments such as diarrhea, food poisoning and other food infections that are a common occurrence during the monsoons, as it contains good bacteria that aid in digestion.

Interesting uses of curd:

• Baking: Curd can be used as a substitute for egg for baking eggless cakes. For this, curd is mixed with lime juice and used in the place of eggs.
• Used in the preparation of Indian gravies: Curd is used in the preparation of Punjabi gravies to add richness and to give a tangy taste. A very famous Gujarati dish, kadi, is prepared using curds and gram flour. A similar dish called “Moor Kozhumbu” or “Maggiga pulusü is widely prepared in the states of Kerala, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. This dish is prepared by grinding soaked red gram dhal/channa dhal along with coconut and spices to a smooth paste and mixing beaten curds and finally adding seasonings. (Note: The probiotics in curd get destroyed on heating, hence one may not get the full health benefit of curd when used this way)
• Preparation of dips: Curd is used in the preparation of a variety of dips that can be used as an accompaniment for kebabs, cutlets, tikkis, etc. Some of the common dips that we find in restaurants are mint dip, cucumber dip, etc.

Simple raitha recipes

As this blog post is all about curd, I would like to share a couple of raitha recipes that are not very common, but nonetheless very tasty.

1. Sabudhana (Sago) raitha:

Sago raitha

Ingredients:

1. Sago- 2 tablespoons.
2. Green chillies- 2 , finely chopped
3. Ginger – half an inch piece, finely chopped
4. Cumin seeds – quarter teaspoon
5. Mustard – quarter teaspoon
6. Curry leaves – a few
7. Curd – 2 to 3 tablespoons.
8. Salt – as per taste
9. Oil – half teaspoon

Method of preparation: Wash and soak the sago in just enough water for 3 to 4 hours. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter, then add cumin seeds, finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves and ginger and fry for a minute. Pour this seasoning into the soaked sago. Add the required amount of salt and mix well. Now, add fresh curds to it and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy this refreshing sago raitha.

2. Sweet potato raitha:

Sweet potato raitha

Ingredients:

1. Sweet potatoes – 2, boiled and peeled
2. Curd – 2 to 3 tbsps
3. Green chillies -2 to 3, finely chopped
4. Mustard- half teaspoon
5. Curry leaves – a few
6. Salt – as per taste
7. Oil – half teaspoon

Method of preparation: Boil the sweet potatoes along with the peel.  Allow it to cool. Now, peel the skin and cut the sweet potatoes into small cubes.

Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard and allow it to splutter. Then, add the finely chopped green chillies and curry leaves and mix well. Pour this seasoning on the sweet potato cubes, add salt and fresh curd and mix well.  Relish this unique, nutrient-laden raitha on a hot summer day.

Note: Sweet potato can be substituted with fruits such as apples, green grapes, peeled mosambi, pineapple etc. using the same method of preparation for an ultra refreshing fruit raitha. These fruits can be used individually or can be prepared as a mixed fruit raitha.

References:

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-are-probiotics#1

African Journal of Microbiology Research (https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJMR/article-abstract/D80ED0B46925)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6567126/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4906699/

©Copyright Arthi’s Food and Nutrition Zone and https://abhivijanatiandstayhealthy.wordpress.com, 2020. All Rights Reserved.