Is Curd Good For Our Health?

Did you have a bowl of curd today?   If not, then make sure to have one every day. The amount of curd with sugar is something we have precisely grown with, a spoonful of sweetened curd shoved down our throats on every auspicious occasion is something we all can relate to. Curd is an Indian household staple, homemade curd is hygienic, easy to set, cheap and super nutritious.

Curd or as we call it dahi making is easy, take lukewarm milk i.e. neither too hold nor cold add a spoonful of curd, mix by stirring the spoon for 33 times clockwise and viola! Make sure that you do not disturb the container once your curd is set. It is easy but technical. The temperature of the milk, no movement of the container, physical factors of the environment like humidity & room temperature can affect your curd.

What is it?

Creamy curd is a dairy product, rich in calcium, magnesium, vitamin B2, vitamin B12 & Potassium, a natural immunity booster . It is super delicious and healthy at the same time. Aloo parathas with dahi, dahi as a side dish, Kadhi, creamy dressing over salads, cucumber raita to pineapple raita, curd has seen it all. Apply it on your scalp for a clean head or turn it into a face mask, immunity, digestion to facial glow curd has proven itself to be a dependable gift from mother nature.

Here are the 10 benefits of curd

A natural probiotic-

Probiotics basically means good bacterias that form the microbiome of your digestive system, yogurt or curd has apt amount of probiotics for your gut that have important functions, primarily, fight with the bad bacteria of the gut, make a gut lining to protect it, help in the process of absorption, digestion, vitamin creation & medication metabolism.

C for Calcium-

Curd is a rich source of calcium, especially for vegetarians. A cup of 100 g of fat free curd contains around 83 mg of calcium. Curd with your parathas or fancy pineapple raita with your meals anyway your daily dose of calcium is not going anywhere.

Vitamin B12 for everyone –

Vitamin B12 is a rarity in the vegetarian food item. Vegetarians are often vitamin B12 deficiency leading to anemia and various neurological issues. As milk turn into curd the concentration of vitamin B12 increases. 1 cup of  yogurt has around 8% of B12.. Adults require around 2-3 micrograms of B12 daily and curd consumption helps them to fulfill this daily requirement.

Immunity –

Milk is fermented to make curd which contains probiotics, these probiotics help to absorb nutrients and also provide vitamins like vitamin A, B12 & essentials like potassium, calcium, magnesium  etc to the body. Curd also ensures a smooth digestive process. All these primary functions lead to building of a solid immune system, thus, a natural immunity booster.

Digestion-

Doctors will often ask you to have buttermilk or curd when you have diarrhea or loose motions because you are not just losing electrolytes but also disturbing your gut microbiota as well. Probiotics in the gut not only help in active absorption and digestion but also keep the harmful bacteria away.

Strong bones-

Calcium in curd is the proof that you surely need to have your daily dose of curd every day. There is a study conducted in US which reveals that eating yogurt every day may lower the risk of Osteoporosis both in females and males by more than 30%.

Skin care-

Get your mask ready with curd and two full spoons of besan( Bengal gram power). Apply it on your face and hands to see skin glow. Similarly, you can combine curd with turmeric and banana to make natural face masks of your own choice.

Shiny Hair-

Are you done with your dandruff? 🤔 Well, itchy scalp with dead skin cells is not liked by many. Apply your homemade yogurt on your hair, leave it for 15 minutes  and wash, it will make your skin clean and will let the scalp take a breath.

Fat loss-

Curd consumption is a smart thing when you want to loose weight but do not want to miss out on the daily calcium and vitamins in the process. Curd is fulfilling, effective in managing digestive issues, does not add on calorie consumption but has essential nutrients for the body, thus, aids in weight loss.

Daily dose of Energy-

There is a reason why our elders make us eat curd before every good thing, curd makes you energetic in no time. You want an instant energy booster, go nowhere else, it is a perfect food item for any pre or post workout session. Essential nutrients with carbs and less calories is indeed a great combination.

There is no doubt that it is indeed healthy but make sure that you eat curd carefully in winters as it can lead to cold & cough. Eat a limited amount as anything in excess is not good, consuming a lot of curd can lead to weight gain. Make curd a part of your healthy lifestyle.