Plain Greek yogurt is a nutrient dense dairy product, which is recognized as an imperative alternative to most of the cream based condiments. It is also considered as a healthy food as it does not contain too much added sugar. The main difference between plain Greek yogurt and regular yogurt is that plain Greek yogurt undergoes an additional step during processing, which is responsible for draining out excess lactose, water and minerals from it as a result creamier yogurt is produced with low sugar content.

Nutritional composition

• It contains desirable amount of carbohydrates, especially lactose and complex carbohydrates
• It contains fibre as well
• It is composed of several important amino acids
• It contains mono and poly unsaturated fatty acids too. It also contains too some extent of cholesterol
• It is packed with various important micronutrients like vitamin A, Vitamin B complex, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, sodium and potassium
• It also contains living microorganism especially Lactobacillus thus it is also considered as a probiotic 

Health benefits

Role on digestive health

• It plays important role in improving overall digestive health
• Fibre present in plain Greek yogurt is accountable for promoting regularity as it is associated with promoting bowel movement. Whereas it helps to make the stool soft and bulky as well, which is also responsible for preventing constipation

• It helps to improve peristalsis too, which ultimately helps in promoting colonic health. It is very effective for reducing the prevalence of diverticular diseases and colon cancers
• Probiotics present in plain Greek yogurt helps in promoting the growth of intestinal beneficial microbes. It is also responsible for increasing their load, which ultimately helps to improve gut health
• It is also very effective for decreasing the prevalence of bloating, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhoea and stomach pain  

Role on skeletal system

• Its consumption is really very helpful for maintaining a healthy skeletal system as it contains various bone promoting nutrients
• Its calcium and phosphorus components are accountable for healthy bone formation
• It helps in enhancing bone mineralization too, which ultimately increases bone mineral density
• Protein present in plain Greek yogurt also plays vital role in improving skeletal health
• It helps to improve bone mass as well
• It is closely related with decreasing the prevalence of bone fractures as it helps in preventing bone thinning
• It is also very effective for improving the symptoms of osteoporosis

Role on muscular health

• It helps to promote muscular health as proteins present in it act as building blocks for muscle
• It plays significant role in improving muscle mass especially lean muscle mass

• It is also very effective for improving muscle strength
• It plays vital role in preventing muscular damages hence promotes endurance thus consumption of plain Greek yogurt is thought to be very effective for those individual who are on resistance training

Role on oral health

• Calcium present in plain Greek yogurt plays significant role in healthy teeth formation. It helps to increase the strength of teeth as well
• It is also associated with preventing bad mouth odour. Its probiotic components are considered as the main factors responsible for keeping off offensive mouth odours
• Its probiotic components also help in decreasing the susceptibility of oral infections thus its consumption is thought to be very effective for promoting oral hygiene
• It is also very helpful for reducing the prevalence of plaque formation
• Its consumption is related with lowering the risk of developing gingivitis as well

Role on nervous system

• It plays significant role in improving both central and peripheral nervous system
• Its protein components as well as micronutrient components play imperative role in promoting the growth and development of brain
• Its consumption is also related with enhancing the activity of nerve cells

Role on mental health

• Consumption of plain Greek yogurt is extremely useful for promoting mental health
• It plays significant role in preventing depression
• It has seen that probiotic bacteria (lactobacillus) present in plain Greek yogurt is responsible for affecting the concentration of kynurenine in blood. kynurenine is a metabolite, which is recognized as a causative factor for depression. As it helps in decreasing the level of kynurenine, hence its consumption is thought to be extremely helpful for reducing depression
• It is also associated with decreasing stress and anxiety
• It also helps in regulating the synthesis of neurotransmitter dopamine as well as serotonin, which are also accountable for improving mood and mental health

Role on metabolism

• It is considered as one of the most imperative therapeutic substances, which is closely related with enhancing metabolism
• Being a protein rich food, its consumption is thought to be very effective for enhancing calorie expenditure
• Apart from protein it is also rich in fibre, which is also associated with boosting up metabolism

Role on skin

• Its consumption is very effective for improving skin health as it contains numerous nutrients like proteins, vitamins, minerals etc that help to make the skin healthy and supple
• Lactic acid component of plain Greek yogurt is responsible for dissolving dead skin cells. We know that dead skin cells are accountable for clogging pores and causes breakout but consumption of plain Greek yogurt significantly decreases this complications

• It is also associated with preventing acne and pigmentation
• It helps to brighten the skin as well

Role on hair

• It contains various imperative nutrients that provide proper nourishment to the scalp and promotes hair growth
• It is also associated with enhancing hair strength
• It helps to prevent alopecia as well

Therapeutic uses

It has been widely used for several therapeutic purposes, which include –

• It is extensively used as an imperative post workout therapeutic substance. It is composed of various important amino acids, carbohydrates and micronutrients that help to repair muscle damages
• It plays significant role in reducing appetite as its protein and fibre contents are accountable for providing a feeling of stomach fullness by delaying stomach emptying thus it is considered as an effective remedial action for obesity too
• It is also associated with decreasing total fat percentage of body as a result decreases the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia as well as visceral obesity
• It helps to improve catabolism, which is also considered as an important feature for preventing obesity
• Its consumption is closely related with improving the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS
• It helps to prevent hypertension as well
• It is also associated with reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Its antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, protein content, fibre content, healthy fats and micronutrient components are responsible for promoting cardiac health and functionality

• It helps to decrease blood sugar concentration as well

Culinary uses

• It can be consumed alone or can also be consumed with other foods
• It is considered as a healthy breakfast item
• It can be used as a topping agent for soup as well
• It can also be used as topping for chilies in the place of sour cream
• It can be spread on bread in the place of butter
• It can also be used for preparing dessert

Risk factors

Though there are no such side effects of plain Greek yogurt but it is better to store it properly for preventing its spoilage.

Bridge, A., Brown, J., Snider, H., Nasato, M., Ward, W.E., Roy, B.D. and Josse, A.R., 2019. Greek yogurt and 12 weeks of exercise training on strength, muscle thickness and body composition in lean, untrained, university-aged males. Frontiers in nutrition, 6, p.55.

Bridge, A.D., Brown, J., Snider, H., Ward, W.E., Roy, B.D. and Josse, A.R., 2020. Consumption of Greek yogurt during 12 weeks of high-impact loading exercise increases bone formation in young, adult males–a secondary analysis from a randomized trial. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 45(1), pp.91-100.

Chandan, R.C., Gandhi, A. and Shah, N.P., 2017. Yogurt: Historical background, health benefits, and global trade. In Yogurt in health and disease prevention (pp. 3-29). Academic Press.

El-Abbadi, N.H., Dao, M.C. and Meydani, S.N., 2014. Yogurt: role in healthy and active aging. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 99(5), pp.1263S-1270S.

Lisko, D.J., Johnston, G.P. and Johnston, C.G., 2017. Effects of dietary yogurt on the healthy human gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome. Microorganisms, 5(1), p.6.