Yogurt
Since the earliest days of the Israelites, sour or curdled milk (or curds) was mixed with
honey, flavored with dates, raisins, grapes or other fruits or nuts. Those curds, many Bible scholars believe, were what we now call yogurt.
Tradition says an angel promised Abraham that he would live a long life if he ate the biblical version of yogurt. He lived to be 175 years old!
Today, in parts of Turkey, Armenia and some of the more remote regions of the Caucasus
Mountains, there is an unusually high number of very old people. Men and women often
live well beyond 100 years while maintaining healthy, active lifestyles.
The reason is they eat plenty of yogurt. The longevity theory has never been tested on
humans. But when scientists with the US Department of Agriculture were researching the
effects of yogurt on salmonella infections in mice, they discovered one astonishing side
effect: the mice that were fed yogurt did more than beat the infection – they lived much
longer than those that were not given yogurt.
Yogurt is highly regarded all around the world as a super source of bone-building calcium.
It may prevent colds and allergic reactions, fight cancer and strengthen the body’s immune system. It also lowers bad cholesterol levels, prevents dangerous intestinal infections, improves bowel function and blocks ulcers.
Research has shown that once inside the intestinal tract, the lactobacilli in yogurt embarks
on a search-and-destroy mission. Its target is E. coli bacteria that sneaks into our bodies,
multiplies and wreaks havoc on the entire digestive and elimination system. E. coli makes
us sick. In infants, it can cause diarrhea which can become fatal.
Yogurt also helps to maintain a normal balance between the “good” and “bad” bacteria
that are constantly present in our bodies. Just a little dab of yogurt may be enough to
cure most of the general gastrointestinal disturbances that are caused by a poor diet or
infections.
Yogurt puts the bacteria we need into our systems and reactivates the energetic lactobacilli. With all the bacteria, yogurt is also a natural antibiotic, known to head off such diseases as dysentery and influenza.
Yogurt also lowers the bad cholesterol and raises the good cholesterol. To get the greatest benefits from yogurt, make sure it ingredients contain “live active cultures.” If it doesn’t state it on the label, it may not be real yogurt. The pasteurization process can destroy the active cultures necessary for yogurt to do its job.
