Natural yogurt is produced from fermented milk of animal origin, so it is a dairy and protein food. There are many studies that indicate that natural yogurt considerably improves our health, as long as it is consumed properly.

What are the benefits?

• Improves our intestinal bacterial flora
• Good for the brain
• It's good for the heart
• Helps strengthen and gain muscle mass
• helps with body fat loss diets and regulates metabolism
• Provides calcium and phosphorus to our bodies, helping to maintain bone health.
• Helps preserve immunity

Natural yogurt can be eaten for breakfast, for lunch as a salad dressing, for an afternoon snack you can consume it naturally based on yogurt itself or incorporated into a snack and for dinner as part of a light diet. Being a very versatile food, it can be incorporated into different types of dishes. There are numerous recipes based on natural yogurt that you can make at home, as they are very simple as well as being tasty and healthy.

You can buy natural yogurt in a variety of shops, and before you buy it, it's very important that you check that the product is stored in a hygienic environment at the right temperature for its proper preservation, and also check the product's expiration date, so that you don't consume an expired product and cause damage to your health.

If you want to make yogurt at home, be aware of the hygienic process the food needs to go through. How to make natural yogurt?

The ingredients are:

• one liter of whole milk
• two tablespoons of natural yogurt or starters (yeast)
• kitchen thermometer

Preparation

In a clean saucepan, add the milk and heat it over medium heat until it reaches 85 degrees Celsius, then let it cool until it reaches about 43 degrees Celsius. Add the 2 tablespoons of natural yogurt or starter, mix well and let it rest in a warm place for 4 to 6 hours, depending on the consistency you want.Then put the yogurt in the fridge to cool and firm up so that it's ready for you to enjoy. You can add honey or fruit to sweeten it, it's up to your taste.

But as the number of lactose-intolerant people is increasing, there are now natural yogurts suitable for this type of consumer, such as zero-lactose yogurts and soy-based yogurts. It's important to pay close attention to your diet and if you feel any discomfort when consuming dairy products, seek out a medical professional so that clinical examinations can detect whether you are lactose intolerant and so you can consume the products that are suitable for your diet.