Is Greek Yogurt Healthier Than Regular Yogurt?

Jacked Check – An occasional series fact checking the world of bro science

Claim: Greek yogurt is healthier than regular yogurt because it is lower in sugar and higher in protein.

Rating: Partly true.

Conclusion: Greek yogurt is made by straining off the acid whey that is a byproduct of the production of yogurt. As a result, Greek yogurt gives you concentrated protein that is lower in sugar (lactose) than regular yogurt. However, because the acid whey is rich in B vitamins and potassium, regular yogurt is a compelling choice for people with certain nutritional needs.

The Details

First off, whenever discussing yogurt of any kind, it’s important to highlight that yogurt doesn’t possess the health benefits associated with fermented foods. As I wrote in my post about how to survive a nuclear meltdown:

Only certain kinds of probiotics can survive the trip through the human digestive system and deliver their protective payload. These “encapsulated” probiotics shield the sensitive beneficial bacteria from harsh stomach acid. Foods with encapsulated probiotics include kefir, sauerkraut, and fermented pickles. The probiotics in yogurt, however, get burned up by stomach acid and provide little benefit.

Second, it’s worth noting that the acid whey found in regular yogurt is different from the sweet whey that is created during the production of cheese. Sweet whey is what is used in whey supplements.

Regardless, both regular and Greek yogurt provide a variety of essential nutrients, but in different proportions.

What happens to yogurt’s nutrition when the whey is strained?

Sugar

The straining of acid whey removes a significant amount of lactose (milk sugar) from Greek yogurt. Lactose is a water-soluble sugar that remains in the whey after the milk proteins and fats have been separated during the production of yogurt. Greek yogurt has about 50% less lactose than regular yogurt.

Protein

There are two major types of proteins found in milk: whey and casein. Regular yogurt follows the natural protein distribution found in milk — 80% casein and 20% whey.

Whey is particularly prized by athletes because it contains lactalbumin. Lactalbumin is known for being high in essential amino acids including the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs are crucial for muscle protein synthesis and are often supplemented by athletes to support muscle growth and recovery.

In Greek yogurt, the protein ratio is typically around 90-95% casein and 5-10% acid whey due to the straining process. However, casein is still high in essential amino acids, including BCAAs. Despite the removal of some whey, Greek yogurt’s concentrated protein provides more (casein-derived) BCAAs per serving than regular yogurt.

Overall, Greek yogurt has about 20 grams of protein while regular yogurt has about 9 grams per serving.

B vitamins

When regular yogurt is strained to make Greek yogurt, Greek yogurt loses the acid whey that contains water-soluble B vitamins. Here’s a comparison of B vitamins in regular yogurt versus Greek yogurt.

• Vitamin B1 (energy metabolism — converts food into energy): Greek yogurt has 20-30% less.
• Vitamin B2 (antioxidant function, red blood cell production, skin and eye health): Greek yogurt has 30-40% less.
• Vitamin B3 (energy production, DNA repair, anti-inflammatory): Greek yogurt has 10-20% less.
• Vitamin B5 (energy metabolism, red blood cell production, stress management): Greek yogurt has 30-40% less.
• Vitamin B6 (protein synthesis, immune support, brain health): Greek yogurt has 20-30% less.
• Vitamin B12 (normal cell function and development): Greek yogurt has 10-20% less.

Some populations need larger amounts of B vitamins. These include older adults, whose bodies become less efficient at absorbing B12; pregnant women, who have increased nutritional needs; and people with certain digestive issues like Crohn’s disease that prevent the body from absorbing B vitamins effectively.

Minerals

The calcium and potassium in Greek yogurt is lower than in regular yogurt due to the removal of whey. The reduction compared to regular yogurt is 30-50% for calcium and 20-30% for potassium.

Potassium deficiency is a significant problem in the United States with 98% of Americans not getting enough Potassium. Low potassium is a leading contributor to high blood pressure because of the imbalance between sodium and potassium (health comes from raising your potassium rather than lowering your sodium). Low potassium also causes muscle weakness and cramps, among other health issues.

I’ve been drinking coconut water to raise my potassium, though I’m mindful of coconut water’s naturally high sugar content. Maybe I can thread the needle by offsetting the high sugar in coconut water with less sugar from Greek yogurt.