People from different cultures have benefited from curd for many years, and they had many reasons to do so! This food item has been simple yet nutritious enough to form a part of everyday meals, but it has much more to offer beyond just satisfying your taste buds. So, today we are going to explore the major health benefits of curd.
From probiotics to minerals and even vitamins, curd is replete with them, aiding an enormous number of health benefits. Improving digestion, enhancing the immunity of the body, or if one just needs a healthy addition to their diet-whatever the requirement, curd fits the bill.
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Health Benefits Of Curd
In this article, we have rounded up the top 10 health benefits of curd and why it needs to have a permanent place in your diet every day starting from 2024.
Improves Digestive Health
The most known benefit of curd is that it improves digestive health. Curd contains probiotics, a repository of living bacteria, to build up your gut flora. These good bacteria help maintain the right gut environment, curbing the growth of injurious bacteria, and also aid in digestion.
If you have ever faced bloating, constipation, or any discomfort in your tummy, then the inclusion of curd in your diet fixes these issues. The probiotics present in curd further help your body absorb more nutrients from the food you consume, thereby assuring the best benefit from every meal.
Also, curd can be highly effective for those who suffer from problems like irritable bowel syndrome or IBS and other chronic digestive disorders. Various symptoms of gas, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain can be reduced by the probiotics within the curd.
By consuming curd regularly, you can keep yourself healthy in terms of digestion and thereby feel much more comfortable and fine.
Strengthens Immunity
Another added advantage of curd is in immunity. Probiotics in curds are said to strengthen the body’s defenses by encouraging the formation of antibodies and activation of immune cells, including macrophages and T-cells.
It thus means that a consumption of curd by you can, therefore, guarantee your body protection against such infections and reduce the frequency and intensity of diseases such as the cold and flu.
Besides probiotics, curd is also a very good source of other key nutrients, including zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin C, which all have very major roles to play in maintaining a healthy immune system.
For example, zinc plays an important role in immune cell functions and signaling, and vitamin D controls immune responses and reduces chronic diseases. Hence, you are building up your immune system with curd to keep you healthy the entire year.
Did you know about these benefits of curd? See one basic ingredient which is available in every home has this much of benefits.
Aids in Weight Loss
Weight-watchers must not forget the boons curd offers in terms of contributing to a weight shed. Being very low in calories and rich in proteins, curd is one of the finest foods for controlling body weight.
High protein content keeps you feeling fuller for longer and reduces overeating or snacking on unnecessary foods. This satiety factor is particularly crucial when one is on a calorie-restricted diet.
Besides, the probiotics present in curd help one experience an increase in metabolism and respiration of fats. It has been identified that people consuming probiotic-rich foods, such as curd, result in reduced levels of body fat, particularly within areas of the abdomen.
Curd is also helpful for good digestion, which forms part of effective weight management because it ensures that your body processes and passes on waste material efficiently. Adding curd to your meals or just snacking on it will get you through the day on track for healthy, sustainable weight loss.
Improves Bone Health
But the goodness of curd does not stop at that; it further extends to your skeletal system. Curd provides your body with a rich amount of calcium that keeps your bones and teeth strong.
A regular intake of curd makes your bones less prone to diseases, such as osteoporosis-a disorder that causes your bones to be weak and brittle. It is most necessary in the case of postmenopausal women, as during this period their estrogen levels are usually found to be low, causing problems in the bones.
Other than calcium, curd also contains other nutrients like phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D that are beneficial for bone health. Together, these improve bone density and strength. Be it in growing years as a child, maintaining bones as an adult, or preventing its loss during older age, curd is one of the best foods to keep your bones healthy and strong.
Assures Skin Health
Its benefit to skin care is great. It instantly cools the skin, as its properties are one of natural cooling, hence acting as a very good remedy for irritated or inflamed skin. Its loads of antioxidants help fight the free radicals, which are responsible for early signs of aging. Having curd on a regular basis keeps the complexion clear and glowing; applying it as a face mask treats acne and pimples.
Lactic acid present in curd exfoliates the skin mildly, peeling off the dead skin cells to allow growth of new skin cells. This will not only help improve your skin texture and tone but also leave it fresh and rejuvenated.
Besides, the moisturizing properties of curd can help you in keeping your skin hydra-soft, making it one of the great home remedies for dry skin. Whether taken internally or applied externally, curd offers an umpteen number of benefits for maintaining and acquiring healthy skin.
Aids in Regulating Blood Pressure
Regulation of blood pressure is yet another one of the major benefits of curd. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common disease condition that may lead to serious health hazards if not treated well. Fortunately, curd helps to keep blood pressure levels under control.
Curd is rich in potassium, a mineral highly essential for maintaining the balance of sodium in the body. Potassium helps in dilating blood vessels and lessening the pressure on them, ultimately reducing blood pressure.
Besides this, curd calcium helps in regulating blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels. Low-fat or fat-free curd is particularly very good for patients with high blood pressure because it carves in one all the necessary nutrients without adding an extra gram of fat or calorie.
Incorporated into a routine diet, curd will make you go the extra mile toward healthiness and normal blood pressure, thereby cutting the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Keeps the Heart Healthy
Curd provides a host of other benefits to keep your heart healthy. It works to reduce levels of cholesterol, especially low-fat curd that is consumed on a routine basis to avoid heart-related diseases.
The mode of action of curd involves hindering the ability of the liver to produce cholesterol and also increasing the excretion rate of cholesterol thus bringing down bad cholesterol, LDL, while increasing the levels of good, HDL.
The probiotics in curd further help reduce inflammation, which is one of the major causative factors for heart diseases. Inflammation can lead to the building up of plaque in the arteries, further resulting in increased risks of heart attacks and strokes.
Regular intake of curd helps one keep the arteries free from blockage and further reduces the chances of cardiovascular complications. Curd is also heart-friendly and can be made for many recipes; hence, it is an inexpensive and easy way to keep your heart safe.
Good for Lactose Tolerant People
Being lactose intolerant, one would assume that all dairy items are banned for them. One of the lesser-known benefits of curd is related to the fact that it is more easily digestible than milk.
In the preparation of curd, the fermentation process helps in decomposing most of the lactose that is essentially indigestible for many people, and hence, it makes itself viable for those who possess lactose intolerance yet have to meet their urge with nutritional benefits from dairy products.
Some people who have lactose intolerance can easily digest curd and never face those problems they always do with milk. In fact, nutritional value comes along with curd: protein, calcium, probiotics that make it an excellent alternative for those who wish to consume diary in their diet without digestive problems. If you are lactose intolerant, try incorporating curd into your diet, and enjoy its health benefits sans discomfort.
We hope that this guide about Benefits Of Curd is helping you by clearing all your doubts.
Cures Mental Health
The relation between gut health and mental health is already known, and the benefits of curd prove very beneficial in this respect. Its probiotics help keep the gut healthy, which shows positive effects on mental health, too. There are studies that prove the healthy gut microbiota reduces the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
This is due to the fact that the gut and the brain are connected via the gut-brain axis; thus, any balance of bacteria within the gut will influence the way the brain works and, more important, one’s mood.
Regular consumption of curd helps in improving gut health, which actually gives clear mental acuity, keeps anxiety away, and improves your mental state. So not only for keeping the body healthy but for maintaining one’s mind in a sound disposition also does curd have its own food value. If you want to promote natural mental well-being, then it is time to include curd in your diet.
Now if someone comes and ask you about Benefits Of Curd, now you know what to answer.
You can also add some Yoga in your daily routine like Padmasana which will help you in improving your mental health.
Hair Health
Health benefits of curd are not confined to health internally but in the aspect of beauty pertaining to hair. Curd acts like a natural conditioner by nourishing the hair, hence giving softness, shine, and manageability to the hair. It is very effective for scalp infections and dandruff because of its anti-fungal action. You can use curd in various hair packs to give strength to your hair, reduce frizz, and grow healthy hair.
Curd is rich in nutrients such as proteins and lactic acid that are quite helpful in repairing damaged hair and preventing breakage. Be it the dry and brittle hair or just wanting to protect your hair, curd can really work magic on your hair care regimen. You could apply it to your hair on a regular basis or consume it through diet to develop healthy, strong hair with shining vitality.
Conclusion
Curd is, in fact, a miraculous item as it avails a broad range of benefits to health, hence, healthy for all kinds of people to consume. Be it digestive health, heart health, or general well-being, curd is altogether a powerhouse solution for many bodily needs.
Want great skin, or want to manage weight, or more importantly, want mental fitness? Then curd is the answer to them all. Make it a point to include curd in your diet regularly in 2024 onwards and experience all the aforementioned incredible health benefits yourself.
Consuming it as it is, adding it to other dishes, or even using it as a beauty treatment-the health benefits of curd are undeniable and not to be taken lightly.