5 Amazing Health Benefits Of Curd (Yogurt) | How To Make Curd

Curd or so-called yogurt is also known as “Dahi” in Hindi. Curd is a fermented dairy product that is thick, and looks like custard pudding, which is made by the natural bacterial fermentation of milk.

Curd is a dairy product that has had major importance in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times.  Curd or so-called “dahi” is a product procured by the lactic fermentation of buffalo; cows’ milk is sometimes both combined milk.

Curd is produced by single or mixed strains of alcoholic or lactic acid bacteria to fermentative yeasts. In Ayurveda, curds have been used for their nutritive and therapeutic values.

It is suggested for curing ailments like dyspepsia, dysentery, and various gastrointestinal disorders.

How To Make Thick Curd (Dahi) At Home

There are various types of yogurt (flavored and plain) available at the supermarket these days. If you want to make fresh thick curd, you can easily make it at home by heating the milk. Below is a curd recipe Indian style, follow the instructions given and make a wonderful yogurt (curd) at home.

Ingredients Required
1 tsp of curd/yogurt/dahi as a starter
1 liter full-fat milk (whole milk)

Note: Take up to ¾ to 1 tbsp if curd is gelatin-based, or if you are making it in winter.

Instructions

• Clean a pot (handi) well now add milk and bring it to a boil over low to medium flame.
• Simmer the milk for 15 minutes on a very low flame to get thick curd. Keep stirring else the milk will burn and smell bad. You can skip this step if you want to have a moderately thick yogurt. (This step is to get very thick curd.)
• Let the milk cool down to room temperature.
• Now add a tsp of yogurt (dahi a starter) to the milk and stir it well.
• Now cover & place the bowl in a warm place and allow it to set for about 6 to 10 hours depending on the climate.

Recipe Notes

• Do not add yogurt to hot milk, it will congeal the milk.
• Using the sour starter will yield a sour dahi so always take fresh dahi
• If your milk does not set well you can increase the quantity of (Yogurtdahi as a starter)

Health Benefits Of Eating Curd

Curd is a dairy product that has many health benefits it has been used as a beauty aid to lighten skin tone. Sometimes, it has been said that curd is more advantageous than milk, it is due to the fermentation of milk that leads to being so healthy.

In most parts of India, people have a belief that if consume curd before doing something new or going abroad a journey will guard prosperity and good health. There are also scientific points of view that this dairy product is relatively unique and delivers many health benefits.

It has been the best home remedy for improving digestion, boosting immunity, stronger teeth and bones, dandruff, heart health, weight loss, and much more. Below are some of the curd benefits, which can be helpful in everyday life to deal with common ailments.

1. It Makes Bones Stronger

Curd is a supernatural food that can keep a bone as well as healthy. A bone is an important organ of our body that holds us and keeps staying in us healthy. Healthy bone is important as it supports and protects the various organs throughout the body.

It produces white and red blood cells, provides structure, stores minerals, and support for the body, and empowers mobility. Curd is beneficial because it has a rich source of calcium and phosphorous, which is very important for strengthening our bones.

If the bone is healthy various diseases or medical conditions bone such as Osteoporosis, Bone disease. Paget’s disease of bone, Bone fracture, Osteoarthritis, Arthritis, Osteopenia, Rheumatoid arthritis, Deformity, arthritis, Deformity, Osteogenesis imperfecta, etc. can be prevented.

2. It improves immunity

The immune system is our body’s defense system, which is built up with many biological structures and deals within an organism with those safeguards against disease.

A healthy and good immunity can prevent various common diseases, from a viral infection, common cold, and chronic fatigue to stomach disorders, and even deadly cancer.

Curd can boost immunity systems as it is believed to be the best probiotic food, which holds live microorganisms helpful for our body.  The probiotic in the curd boosts the count of infection-fighting white blood cells.

3. It improves digestion

Consuming curd can help to improve your digestion; it is mostly due to the nutrients like calcium, riboflavin, phosphorus, and vitamin B-12 as well as zinc. Curd or so-called dahi has probiotics, which help for the proper functioning of the digestive system.

Curd not only helps in absorbing nutrients from other food items that you have eaten but also helps to neutralize the hot food if eaten.  Curds are easy to digest and can be eaten by those who are lactose intolerant as lactose is broken down during the fermentation process.

Some researchers have also confirmed that eating curd can also help to cure many stomach infections such as H. Pylori infection.

4. It helps to lose weight

Researchers have confirmed that dietary calcium can directly influence your weight-loss efforts. Consuming high-calcium foods, especially dairies have been shown to increase the body-fat breakdown and conserve metabolism during dieting.

Curds have high levels of calcium that are helpful for our body to look younger and for building up strong bones.

The study performed by   “The University of Tennessee” in the year 2005 proves that people who ate three servings of yogurt a day lost 61% more body fat and 22% more weight than those people who simply cut calories and did not add any calcium to their diet plan.

5. It helps control blood sugar level

Yogurt or so-called curd is a healthy food that has many benefits, including keeping blood sugar in control. Curds have an easily digestible protein that controls the blood sugar level and has also been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.

It is generally believed that curds have a high impact on glucose levels but this is false it is a diabetes-friendly food and drink. The researchers have indicated that curd may even aid to reduce the risk of advancing type 2- diabetes (T2D).

It was shown during the presentation by “Thomas however” (University of Toronto, Canada) at the Fourth Global Summit on the Health Effects of Yogurt.

Why does yogurt have a low GI (glycemic index), the researchers believe that during the fermentation process, lactic acid is created, which may reduce glycemic reaction by slowing gastric emptying.