The Diet doctor is IN! M&F Hers expert, Dr. Jim Stoppani, is back with more answers to your questions.

May 4, 2009

MUSCLEANDFITNESSHERS.COM

Q: What's the difference between plain yogurt and Greek yogurt? Is one better than the other?

A: Both plain yogurt and Greek yogurt start from the same source - milk. Each one also has beneficial bacterial cultures added to them. But after having these cultures added to it, Greek yogurt is left to rest in cheesecloth, which allows the water to drain away to leave a much thicker yogurt. A good deal of the carbs (lactose) also drain away. This means that Greek yogurt is much lower in carbs than plain yogurt. In fact, one cup of Greek yogurt contains just 9 grams of carbs, compared to plain yogurt's 16 grams per cup. Some of the whey protein (the liquidy surface you often find on the top of your plain yogurt) also drains away, which means that Greek yogurt is a good source of slow-digesting casein protein, the main protein component of milk. But the loss of all the water makes Greek yogurt a more concentrated protein source, delivering a whopping 20 grams of protein per cup compared to plain yogurt's measly 12 grams per cup. This makes Greek yogurt a good protein source for anytime, but especially right before bed when you want a slow-digesting protein, such as casein, to last with you through the night so your body doesn't break down your muscles for fuel. If you're eating yogurt to get in your calcium dose, you should know that a good deal of the calcium in Greek yogurt has been drained away. One cup of Greek yogurt gives you just 200 mg of calcium, just half of plain yogurt's 400 + mg of calcium per cup. But if you take a calcium supplement you'll be good to go by not missing out on what Greek yogurt's rich casein protein and low carb content are dishing out.

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