Yogurt, taken in the morning, helps reduce abdominal swelling during the day because it is rich in probiotics
Lo yogurtsimple and whole (perhaps unexpectedly for many) when taken at breakfast or mid-morning helps reduce abdominal swelling which tends to increase during the day and peaks in the afternoon, and which according to studies affects 20% of the population. Kourtney Kardashian once said, “There’s nothing more frustrating than having all your fitness and dieting efforts sabotaged by bloat. Those abs will never see the light if they’re hidden behind water retention,” voicing a generalized feeling that it is certainly not an isolated problem.
However, if we want to look for a scientific justification for the fact that we end the day with a sense of bloating that we didn’t have when we woke up, dr. Fermin Mearin Manriquedirector of the Digestive Service at Teknon Medical Center and a member of the Top Doctors medical panel, explains: “It is common for abdominal swelling to increase throughout the day. This may be because the gas itself accumulate progressively as the hours go by and the abdominal muscles lose strength. L’anxiety it is also a major aggravating factor of this problem.
The pharmacist and nutritionist Paula Martin Clares (@farmanutriconsejo on Instagram) adds: “Many studies have established that a diet rich in probiotic foods like yogurt increases microbiome diversity and reduces abdominal inflammation. In fact, yogurt is made up of probioticsbeneficial bacteria that live in the intestinal tract and facilitate the digestive process, therefore they play a very important role in intestinal health”.
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Best if taken at breakfast or mid-morning
It is not only important what we eat, but also when we eat it. Even if it is never a wrong time to eat a healthy food, in the case of yogurt and its ability to counteract abdominal inflammation, the expert advises consuming it above all at Breakfast – model Karlie Kloss, for example, includes Greek yogurt and vegetable juice in her breakfast – oa mid morning, but that’s okay too snack. Above all, the expert confirms that she has tried it and guarantees that it works: “As a nutritionist, I always say that the best breakfast consists of a whole grain cereal, a fruit and a dairy product. My favorite dairy product every morning is the kefir: since I’ve been taking it, I’ve noticed that the abdominal swelling has reduced and, above all, I don’t feel bad from the discomfort and flatulence during the day”.
How to choose a healthy yogurt
Now that we’ve figured out how yogurt fights inflammation, the next step is choosing one yogurt sano. Since the current offer is large, varied and diversified, how to identify it? “A healthy yogurt is what it says on the label only 2 or 3 ingredients: milk, lactic ferments and powdered milk. L‘the only one that respects this principle is natural and unsweetened whole yoghurt“, explains Paula Martín Clares. And this implies “be careful with flavored yoghurts, because they contain sugar, sweeteners and dyes”. If we want a tastier product, as a nutritionist I recommend buying one 100% natural yoghurt and adding fruit“.
Kefir: a (super) healthy choice
The current craze for kefir and the fact that it occupies a privileged place on supermarket shelves is no coincidence. The nutritionist explained it to us Rocio Maraver: “The variety of microorganisms that act in the fermentation of kefir is more extensive than that of yogurtthat’s why this product is so interesting from a nutritional point of view”. Paula Martín Clares also evaluates this dairy variety positively. “If I have to recommend a yoghurt, it is kefir: it is one of the best probiotic foods, it will help us rebalance our flora intestinal, even in the case of heavy digestions, diarrhea or constipation, bloating and gas”.
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This article was originally published in Vogue Spain