Yogurt is a delicious, healthy food. It’s great as a snack on it’s own, mixed with fruit, granola or muesli. It’s also a fabulous extra to add in smoothies or even on rice.

It is offered as a health food today. Eating one or two cups on most days is very beneficial for your health. When its important components, namely live cultures (probiotics), protein, calcium and B vitamins, work together, they are responsible to help mitigate the following conditions:

1. Lactose Intolerance: Many people can’t digest milk, but eating yogurt daily can help them get the calcium they need. You see, the probiotics in the yogurt have already digested the lactose in the milk allowing those who are lactose intolerant to enjoy this food that is high in calcium!

2. Allergies: Since probiotics affect the entire skin surface, which includes every area that has contact with the outside world, we can safely say that what can improve the digestive system can improve our nasal passages. Studies have shown that babies who eat yogurt and take in probiotics from as young as 3 months of age, have a better chance to avoid many allergies, especially eczema.

3. Cancer: The probiotics in the yogurt help neutralize mutagens that cause cancer, so eating yogurt is helpful in reducing the chance of colon cancer as well as breast cancer. Probiotics encourage the growth of the good bacteria in our digestive system and it limits the growth of the bad bacteria that doesn’t allow us to digest food properly. They also encourage the growth of microflora that promotes the development of cancer. Yogurt may not take away the cancer if you already have it, but it does reduce the chance of you getting it.

4. Cholesterol Reduction: Yogurt helps reduce bile acids, which in turn decreases the absorption of cholesterol form the gastrointestinal tract. In this way, it helps you regulate your cholesterol levels.

5. Diarrhea: Since the probiotics stimulate the immune system by limiting the growth of bad bacteria, and stimulating the growth of good bacteria, yogurt can also help alleviate the symptoms of diarrhea.

6. Vaginal Infections and Urinary Tract Infections: Once again, this is possible because of the live cultures/probiotics that are found in yogurt.

As we can see, the probiotics in yogurt really enhance our health! It promotes the growth of good bacteria in our digestive system and reduces the growth of the bad bacteria thus helping to alleviate lactose intolerance, allergies, cancer, diarrhea, vaginal infections and urinary tract infections.

Probiotics are not the only beneficial ingredient of the yogurt, though. Don’t forget that it is also high in calcium and in protein. The calcium helps us reduce the chance of osteoporosis and helps us have strong teeth. The protein helps our muscles to get stronger. Without muscles we aren’t able to function, to do the activities we do everyday.

Our body only produces small amounts of these important fatty acids; therefore we need to rely on other sources for this essential nourishment. Seafood is one of the best sources of these nutrients. It has been known for many years that eating fresh seafood provides health benefits. However, no one has been sure of the exact reasons for this effect. Yes, fish and other seafood is high in protein and low in fat, but these basic properties do not explain all the benefits enjoyed by people whose diet is high in these foods.

The discovery of higher Mercury levels in farm raised fish has led scientist to believe that one should stick with wild caught fish whenever possible. Long term studies have not been conducted yet to determine the effects of eating farm raised fish but it is assumed that the exposure to Mercury will have negative effects.One thing is for sure, in a world where everything grown by man is injected with hormones, biologically engineered and juiced up to decrease growth times, increase yields and make products easier to ship and handle, eating fish is good choice.With the advent of new technologies, however, and the discovery of omega-3 fatty acids and their key role to various aspects of human health, the benefits of enjoying a diet rich in, for instance, lobster meat or other kinds of fresh seafood suddenly became far more tangible.

The omega-3s start a wonderful activity as early as on fetal stage of human development. Docosahexaenoic acid, commonly found in fish, crab and lobster meat, is an essential component for building brain and nerve fetal tissue as well as the retina. Consequently, research suggests that for infant cognition higher consumptions of fresh seafood low in mercury are beneficial by a pregnant woman. Research has shown that a diet high in omega-3 will confer health advantages prenatally which persist after birth. Children eating such a diet develop less asthma and fewer cases of airway inflammation. Since live lobster and king crab are excellent sources of omega-3, adults will enjoy getting their regular dose.

Eating fresh seafood was shown to lower the rates of depression in post-partum women as well as lower their risk of breast cancer. Consuming Omega 3s also protected against a number of heart diseases, prevented strokes, and improved eye and neurological functioning. Lastly, they were shown to stop mental deterioration in later years, therefore saving the contented fresh seafood afficionados manifold the expenses of their hobby. Furthermore, fish contains more than just one advisable substance. Vitamin D they are also rich in offers potent anti-cancer and bone-building properties, while Astaxanthin, a powerful anti-oxidant found in salmon and giving it the characteristic orange color, confers a host of documented health advantages.

It is well known that to use natural ingredients easily found in food items agrees with the most innovative trends in medicine and with the idea that it is easier to prevent diseases than to cure them. Seafood oils are known to have properties that lower blood pressure, benefiting especially those suffering from hypertension. Eating seafood just once or twice a week can provide good health benefits. Moreover, eating fresh seafood is a great way to obtain your required dose of these essential oils. Oils extracted from seafood are also available as nutritional supplements.