Yogurt is an easily accessible, nutritious food at every household. But, can it be consumed during winter, considering it is a 'cold' food in itself?
Anamika Khanna is worried over her six-year-old son, Puneet, who is down with cold and fever. Anamika thinks yogurt is the culprit, for Puneet loves yogurt and consumes it on a regular basis. She thinks it was a bad idea to give her son yogurt during the cold season. However, a visit to the doctor proved her wrong. The doctor attributed her son's illness to being exposed to cold weather.
That yogurt is cold and should be avoided during winter is a notion that many parents have. But, is this true? Find out by going through the following article.
The health benefits of yogurt are well known. Yogurt provides many essential vitamins and nutrients such as calcium, potassium, zinc, phosphorous, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12, etc. Children who are vegetarian can meet their protein requirements from yogurt.
Yogurt and dairy products are a rich source of calcium and phosphorus (100g of plain whole-milk yogurt meets approximately 10% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for calcium in children). Calcium and phosphorus contribute to your child's structural integrity and the development of bones.
Also, yogurt contains excellent immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties which make it essential to include it in your child's diet during winter, a season of frequent visits to the pediatrician.
Probiotic foods like yogurt provide the following benefits:
Science advocates yogurt as a healthy food choice in all seasons. The immune-boosting properties of yogurt make it an ideal choice to be consumed during winter to keep common winter illnesses at bay.
A study at the University of Vienna found people who ate yogurt daily for just two weeks raised their killer T cell count by nearly 30%. Killer T cells are a type of white blood cells that kill cancer cells. Other studies have found that probiotics may also reduce the length and severity of a cold.
It is important to understand that cold and flu are not caused by cold weather or cold food. They are caused by viral infections of the upper respiratory tract as a result of pollutants or contaminants. In this case, including enough yogurt can have various health benefits such as boosting your child's immunity and warding off illnesses.
Eating yogurt when your child suffers from a cold can help ensure adequate fluid intake due to its moisture content. If she experiences gastrointestinal issues, the probiotics in yogurt may aid faster recovery.
This accessible, easy-to-digest, and tasty food provides important nutrients to both children and adults. So, go ahead and include yogurt in your child's diet this winter and help him stay fit and healthy!
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