Make your Suhoor healthy: Yogurt is essential on Ramadan's table

CAIRO - 14 April 2020: Yogurt is one of the most important dishes on the suhoor table during the blessed month of Ramadan because it benefits the health of the body, maintaining bone health, boosting the immune system, and improving digestion.

Made with skimmed or full-fat milk, yogurt contains nutrients that the body needs such as calcium, a mineral necessary for healthy teeth and bones, as just one cup of yogurt provides 49 percent of your daily calcium needs. It also contains B vitamins, B12 vitamins, and riboflavin, which protect against heart disease.

Additionally, one cup of yogurt provides 38 percent of your daily phosphorous needs, 12 percent of magnesium, and 18 percent of potassium needs. These minerals are essential for many biological processes, such as regulating blood pressure, metabolism and bone health.

Some types of yogurt contain live bacteria or probiotics, and this may benefit digestive health when consumed, as some types of probiotics in yogurt, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus, have been shown to reduce the uncomfortable symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Eating yogurt regularly, especially if it contains probiotics, may strengthen the immune system. It has been shown to reduce inflammation associated with many health conditions such as bowel disorders, and research shows that in some cases probiotics may also help alleviate common cold symptoms.

Yogurt contains some key nutrients for maintaining bone health, including calcium, protein, potassium, phosphorous, and sometimes a vitamin - all of these vitamins and minerals are especially useful for preventing osteoporosis.

Yogurt mostly contains saturated fats and a small amount of monounsaturated fatty acids. Some research shows that eating saturated fat from dairy products increases good HDL cholesterol, which may protect heart health. Moreover, dairy products have been shown to help reduce high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.