Basically, your cells are involved in a fight for survival every day. One of the biggest threats to cells is free radicals. Free radicals cause oxidative stress to proteins, genes, and the mitochondria of cells. Health news, in the past year, has focused largely on preventing oxidative stress and thereby reducing the risk for a number of health conditions. Antioxidants are key for stopping cell damage. But here’s another health tip: yogurt could play an important role in protecting your cells, too.
Researchers in Iran conducted a study to investigate yogurt’s effect on oxidative stress. For their clinical trial, they chose 70 pregnant women in the third trimester. Why such a specific group? According to the researchers, due to the tremendous oxygen requirement of the mitochondria-rich placenta primarily during the third trimester, pregnancy is associated with elevated levels of oxidative stress.
The women were randomly assigned to two groups. One group consumed 200 grams/day of conventional yogurt, while the second group consumed the same amount of probiotic yogurt. The yogurt diet lasted for nine weeks. The researchers measured fasting blood levels at baseline and after week nine to determine how much oxidative stress had occurred.
They found that probiotic yogurt resulted in increased “erythrocyte glutathione reductase” levels as compared to the conventional yogurt. Glutathione is an antioxidant that your body makes. It’s special in the world of antioxidants, because it has the ability to work right inside your cells. The researchers concluded that consumption of probiotic yogurt among pregnant women resulted in increased levels of glutathione as compared to the conventional yogurt.
Follow their health tip and incorporate probiotic yogurt into your meals. This healing food is also a good source of protein and calcium.
To find out more about probiotic yogurt’s healing properties, read the article How Probiotics Protect the Most Important Part of Your Body.