Download Know Your Yogurt - National Yogurt Association

Many yogurts also deliver
vitamin D, which is essential
to the body’s ability to absorb
calcium and important for
maintaining strong bones.
However, a significant portion
of the U.S. population is
lacking in both calcium and
vitamin D intake, which can
cause rickets in children and softened bones in
adults, increasing the risk of fractures.
Yogurt has other minerals and essential vitamins,
including riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin B12,
phosphorous and potassium.
 Protein
Protein serves as a building block for strong muscles
and may help satisfy hunger. Like most dairy products,
yogurt is a good source of protein. Typically, a 6 ounce
serving of yogurt provides 5-10 grams of protein, or
10-20 percent of the Daily Value. Many Greek-style
yogurts contain more than 10 grams of protein
per serving.
Below are the recommended daily dietary intakes of
protein for different age groups.
*RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCE FOR PROTEIN
Children ages 1-3
13 grams
Children ages 4-8
19 grams
Children ages 9-13
34 grams
Girls ages 14-18
46 grams
Boys ages 14-18
52 grams
Women ages 19+
46 grams
Men ages 19+
56 grams
*That the values are taken from a 2005 Institutes of Medicine macronutrient report.
 Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, the
primary carbohydrate in milk, due to a deficiency of the
lactase enzyme in the body. For the many people with
this deficiency, the consumption of milk often leads to
unpleasant gastrointestinal problems and discomfort,
such as gas and bloating.
However, those who
suffer from lactose
intolerance may be able
to enjoy yogurt
with live and active
cultures. During
fermentation, the live
and active cultures
produce lactase, which
breaks down a lot of the
lactose and allows those
with lactose intolerance
to receive all the benefits
of yogurt without the fear of developing unpleasant
symptoms. Yogurt can be an especially important source
of calcium and other nutrients for this segment of
the population.
NATIONAL YOGURT ASSOCIATION
Want more information about yogurt and the health
benefits of consuming live and active cultures?
Visit the National Yogurt Association online at
www.AboutYogurt.com to find answers to questions and
more, including yogurt recipes and meal-planning tips.

KNOW
YOUR
YOGURT
TO LEARN MORE VISIT:
www.AboutYogurt.com
KNOW YOUR YOGURT
People around the world
have long recognized
yogurt’s taste appeal
and healthful properties.
Today, yogurt’s popularity
as a nutritious and
delicious snack or part
of a meal has propelled
annual sales to nearly $7
billion in the USA. Hundreds of spoonable, squeezable
and drinkable yogurt products, in countless flavors and
styles, make yogurt a favorite for kids and adults alike.
Frozen yogurt is also wildly popular.
 Live and Active Cultures
What makes yogurt ‘yogurt?’ Live and active cultures!
The words “live and active cultures” refer to the living
organisms, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus
thermophilus, which convert pasteurized milk to yogurt
through fermentation. This process is very similar to
that used in cheese-making, in that live cultures
transform milk into a product with unique taste,
texture and health
attributes.
Other beneficial
“probiotic” cultures
may also be added
to yogurt, such
as certain strains
of Lactobacillus
acidophilus and
Bifidus.
TO LEARN MORE VISIT:
www.AboutYogurt.com
 Look for the Live and
Active Cultures Seal
Even though all yogurt
begins with Lactobacillus
bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus cultures,
some products are heat-treated after fermentation, thus
killing most of the cultures. Other yogurt products may
have very low levels of cultures even if they are not heat treated.
Relative to body size, growing infants, children and
teens need more calcium than do middle-aged
adults. For aging adults, especially postmenopausal
women, it is important to consume adequate levels
of calcium to help prevent osteoporosis.
Below are the recommended daily dietary intakes of
calcium and vitamin D for different age groups.
RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCES
To help identify yogurt, frozen yogurt, and other
yogurt products that contain significant amounts of
live and active cultures, look for the National Yogurt
Association’s Live and Active Cultures Seal (LAC
Seal). This seal, which appears on many refrigerated
yogurt product containers and some frozen yogurts,
identifies yogurt with at least 100 million live and active
cultures per gram at the time of manufacture (10 million
for frozen yogurt). The LAC Seal is your assurance that
the product contains a sufficient quantity of the cultures you’d expect to be present.
YOGURT AND HEALTH
Yogurt is a versatile, nutrient-dense food that can be
enjoyed alone or as a healthy ingredient in many home-made recipes, while also meeting a wide variety of nutritional needs at every stage of life. Yogurt can play a key role in helping you meet the Dietary Guidelines
for Americans recommended three servings of dairy
foods per day.
 Vitamins and Minerals
Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, a mineral
best known for its role in building strong
teeth and bones. A typical 6 ounce
serving contains between 20 and 30
percent of the Daily Value.
AGE
CALCIUM /MALE
CALCIUM /FEMALE
VITAMIN D
1-3 years
700 mg
700 mg
600 IU
4-8 years
1,000 mg
1,000 mg
600 IU
9-13 years
1,300 mg
1,300 mg
600 IU
14-18 years
1,300 mg
1,300 mg
600 IU
19-50 years
1,000 mg
1,000 mg
600 IU
51-70 years
1,000 mg
1,200 mg
600 IU
+ 70 years
1,200 mg
1,200 mg
800 IU
* Institute of Medicine DRI Report on Calcium and Vitamin D (2010)