By Laura Cenge
Male or female, yogurt is good for you. Yogurt probiotics, also known as microorganisms, assist with regularity in bowel movements, improving immune systems and enhancing the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
So, why do women eat the soft, sweet, savory, and pudding-like texture more than men? The quick answer is reproductive health.
For females, plain yogurt is a recommended part of the diet. It can be eaten as a meal supplement. It is good for the female genitalia. Plain yogurt produces “good bacteria” that is good for the vulva(vagina).
Walking through Bweyogerere, I met Mary Nakato, a resident within, eating yogurt joyously. I asked her why she consumes it and how many times she does so in a certain period of time.
“I consume yogurt because it is a healthy food, helps with weight loss, and I believe it is heavy and can settle in the stomach for a while,” Nakato said.
As the saying goes,curiosity killed the cat. I took those reasons that she gave me, along with the one about fighting infection in female genitalia, and contacted a doctor for further confirmation. Doctors recommend the consumption of plain yogurt.
Speaking to Dr. Tracy Bamutorana of Jinja Referral Hospital, I learned that plain yogurt contains a probiotic with good bacteria that helps to fight the bad bacteria that may cause irritation in the female genitalia.
“Plain yogurt contains a probiotic with healthy bacteria that stays in the digestive tract and the vagina, and helps in balancing yeast and bacteria without irritating those areas,”said Bamutorana.
Furthermore, Bamutorana says that in the due course that yogurt is ingested and with healthy bacteria already in the tract, there is a low chance that the healthy bacteria will interact with the one that is already there. But if there is unhealthy bacteria in the tract, then it will settle there and fight it so as to replace it with a good one.
Because of this, women are advised to eat plain yogurt three times a week to help increase the supply of good bacteria in their reproductive genitalia.
One may ask why plain yogurt is the most recommended, aside from flavoured or sweetened yogurt. This is because the flavoured one contains more sugar than the recommended amount of sugar to be consumed daily, resulting in low chances of helping to fight infections. I believe that you may now take yogurt for a healthy life.
The female genitalia naturally cleans itself and works uniquely to balance the pH levels. Women are advised to mainly use clean water to clean themselves after using the restroom and even when taking a bath. However, some women tend to use soap, which destroys the pH levels in the genitalia, hence leading to them seeking medical attention.
So, ladies, why not stop by a store today and pick up some plain yogurt? You won’t be sorry.
