blogerik209: Very negative effects of the very low fat yogurt

American lawyers who few years ago made the tobacco industry pay for the damage they caused to the many smokers, have recently set upon the food industry.[1] They want to tackle the unhealthy foods and related epidemic of obesity that affects the health of (not only) the Americans. One of the main topics is the misinterpretation of some products, promoting them as “healthy” and “natural”.

The people have the right to know what does their food really consists of. Most criticized were the hidden sugars and this is the topic I want to touch.

One of the things that sound very funny is the very low fat yogurt. This exaggerated labeling should encourage people to choose them rather than the full version which is dammed. But when something is low fat, it does not mean it is healthy. On the contrary, devil is often in the detail. Certainly a yogurt that contains over 10% of fat would not be a good option as it would opt out from the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) balance. But certain fat is necessary for several reasons. He are the four arguments against the low fat food in general.

1 Too much preservatives

First of all, the fat helps to keep some of the ingredients together. Real yogurt should stay in the pot even if you turn it upside down and rise above your head. Try with the low fat and you have to wash your hair.

Without fat this function is compensated by emulsifiers and additives, most of which were proved with more detrimental effect than fat itself. Large quantities can inhibit the absorption of certain nutrients or develop allergies.

What is most shocking, many of the preservatives are actually petrochemical products which might be the precursors of cancer and nerve problems in humans.[2] Would you drink a glass of petroleum? [3]

2 Lack of vitamins and fatty acids

The fat content of yogurt depends on the type of milk used. Doing the maths everyone can figure out that in this particular case we used low fat milk. However, some vitamins are soluble only in fat, thence their presence will be that of hardly any.

Moreover, in low fat versions we also miss on the unsaturated fatty acids that are necessary for general well being. Completely removing fat from our diet can result in hair loss and bad condition of the nails and skin. Fatty acids help in moisturizing the skin and also help to do away with inflammation.[4]

3 Artificial sweeteners

Merely subjective, yet one of the most product selling issues is the taste. Fat makes the food taste better appealing to our taste buds. In low fat yogurt the taste must be supplied by artificial sweeteners which often taste artificial. Many people however prefer them to sugar because they do not contain any calories.

However calorie content is not he only thing that matters. Some artificial sweeteners might trigger negative insulin response, similar to the easy carbs. A Japanese animal study reported in the April 2009 issue of "PloS One" found that artificial sweeteners sucralose, saccharin and acesulfame-K stimulated sweet taste receptors that induced an insulin response.[5] It leads to unnecessary insulin secretion which makes us hungry and prone to consume another carbs. In individuals that developed sensitivity to insulin all the excess calories will be stored in the fat cells. Simply said, although the artificial sweeteners contain zero calories, some of them can alter the level of body hormones and thereby yet promote fat storage. Moreover, they can later food preference towards the sweeter instead of the healthy.[6]

4 Empty calories

Fat makes us feel sat, because it contains twice as much calories as sugars and proteins. Still hungry after the low fat option, many people would not resist the incentive to finish themselves of by another helping. Instead of eating 150 calories in a full fat yogurt, they have eaten 400 empty calories of 3 low fat bros.

Although the fat is reduced, the yogurt would often contain more simple carbs to compensate for the taste. Many dietitians claim that simple carbs are even more dangerous, because they broke down quickly to be stored as a fat and also irritate the insulin levels which might lead to further fat storage, feelings of anxiety and tiredness.

I do not say that all low fat yogurts are bad. Some of them really offer the healthier alternative. I just want to point out that we should be more careful and avoid the tricks the American lawyers want to do away with through reinforcement and tougher control of the food acts.