Vitamins in Curd: Health Benefits of Curd, Nutrition Facts

Curd is rich in calcium and can help maintain bone health?!

Yes!

Make it a part of your diet and find that it can be life changing!

Did your mother also feed you a spoonful of curd and sugar before you left for an exam?

Turns out that this is not only considered a good omen, but can also have various health benefits.

Read on to see what benefits curd can provide your body with.

Curd, a brief

Curd, also known as dahi, is one of the most used dairy products in India.

It is made by coagulating milk, which essentially means turning it into a semi-solid state by curdling it.

Rennet or any edible acid like lemon juice or vinegar is added to hot milk to start the process of curdling.

Most of the Indian households make their curd. All they do is add a small amount of curd to warm milk and let it sit overnight. The taste develops with every batch they prepare.

Curd rice is a popular dish in India and one of the most common ways to consume curd.

You could also add it to marinades while cooking or eat as is with a spoon of sugar if you prefer.

There are around 250 species of Lactobacillus bacteria in curd.

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and other dairy products. As a result, lactose-intolerant individuals might experience severe abdominal discomfort, bloating, nausea, etc.

Although curd or yoghurt is a dairy product, you can still consume it even though your body can not digest lactose. Most of the lactose is broken down by bacteria during the fermentation process, hence making it easy on the stomach. (1)

Related Article: Vitamins in Milk: Health Benefits of Milk You Need to Know

Do you prefer flavored yoghurt or plain desi curd?

Flavoured yoghurt! Desi curd is the only way to consume curd!

If you said plain curd, then your body is definitely thanking you!

Flavoured yoghurt contains many added ingredients like excess sugar, artificial flavourings, etc., and may be harmful to your body.

On the other hand, plain curd can offer various health benefits, some of them being

  • Making your teeth and bones stronger
  • Improving immunity
  • Improving digestion and,
  • Proving to be good for your heart

Vitamins in Curd: How enriching are they?

Vitamins and minerals are essential building blocks of the body. They aid its functioning and ensure its overall health.

We know curd is nutritious, but let’s break it down to the basics and see what are the vitamins in curd, what minerals it is rich in, and how it benefits our body.

The following are vitamin and mineral facts for 100g of plain curd according to the USDA. (2) (3)

Vitamins and Minerals Content in 100g RDA and % of total RDA
Vitamins B6 0.5 mg 1.9 mg (26.3%)
Vitamin B12 0.56 mcg 2.4 mcg (23.3%)
Vitamin B2 0.21 mg 1.96 mg (10.7%)
Vitamin A 66 mcg 900 mcg (7.3%)
Vitamin B3 0.11 mg 14 mg (0.7%)
Phosphorus 144 mg 1000 mg (14.4%)
Calcium 132 mg 1000 mg (13.2%)
Sodium 145 mg 2000 mg (7.25%)
Zinc 0.9 mg 13 mg (6.9%)
Potassium 234 mg 3500 mg (6.6%)
Magnesium 17 mg 420 mg (4%)

Also Read: Vitamins in Butter: Health Benefits and Butter Nutrition Facts

Other Nutrition Facts

What about our macros?

Curd definitely should be rich in specific macros as well!

After all, they do play a vital role in our bodies. They are substances our body requires to grow, provide energy, and aid other bodily functions.

The following are nutrition facts for 100g of plain curd according to the RDA. (2)

Nutrients Content in 100g RDA and % of total RDA
Saturated fatty acids 2.64 g 30 g (8.8%)
Protein 3.52 g 52 g (6.7%)
Total lipid (fat) 3.52 g 77 g (4.5%)
Carbohydrate 5.29 g 130 g (4%)

Who knew vitamins in curd weren’t the only nutrients we would find, and that curd itself was indeed nutritious?!

Maybe eating a bowl after every meal doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.

Also Read: Paneer Nutritional Value Per 100g

Other beneficial compounds and molecules

  • Casein

Casein is a milk protein that gives curd and milk its white colour.

It has anticarcinogenic properties along with hypocholesterolemic effects. (4)

  • Orotic Acid

Orotic acid found in milk and curd is known to improve the metabolism of folic acid and vitamins B12. This molecule in mammals is essential for the development of the central nervous system and improves cerebral circulation. (5) 

Health Benefits of Curd

Curd is nutrient-packed and offers a good amount of health benefits. Some benefits you might be aware of and some that might be new to you; here are a few worth mentioning.

  • Good for bone health (6)

Rich in calcium and phosphorus, curd can help improve bone health and prevent degenerative diseases like arthritis that often affect the elderly.

Calcium and phosphorus can also help improve the health of your teeth and make them stronger.

  • Improves Immunity (7)

The presence of probiotic bacteria in curd helps improve immunity. Probiotics are known to improve the count of the infection-fighting white blood cells. They also help prevent various immunity-related infections and diseases.

  • Reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases (8)

Fermented dairy products like curd release several compounds that can help improve cholesterol levels and blood pressure and reduce the risk of various cardiovascular diseases. 

  • Helps manage weight (9)

Regular consumption of curd has been known to prevent weight gain. It also helps maintain a smaller waist circumference, lower body mass index, and lower body fat.

This is probably because the calcium present in curd can control the production of cortisol, a hormone that can cause an accumulation of fat around the waistline.

In a nutshell, curd is rich in various macro and micronutrients, and the vitamins in curd can help manage your weight, maintain good heart and bone health, and improve immunity.

How to use curd

Curd is an ingredient that you can use in recipes, marinades, drinks like lassi, or you can just add it to rice and eat as is.

Some dishes or side dishes that you can cook up with curd are,

  • Raita, a side dish of seasoned curd that is consumed with rice items like pulao or biryanis.
  • Lassi, a drink made with churned curd and added masala.
  • Shrikhand, a dessert made with strained curd that is flavored with sugar, cardamom, and saffron.
  • Dahi puri, a snack consisting of a filling made of potatoes, peas, onion and tomatoes, is topped off with curd.
  • Paneer Tikka, where you add curd for the marinade
  • Chicken biryani, a dish that consists of a small amount of curd that adds to the flavouring.

It is considered good luck in India to eat a spoon of curd and sugar before leaving for any important event.

How much curd to consume in a day?

Consuming around three servings of curd in a day should be ideal. You can have it during breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

What if I consume too much curd?

Consuming too much curd a day can be harmful to your body.

It can cause unwanted weight gain, increased risk of diabetes, and gastroenteritis outbreaks.

It would be best to keep in mind not to consume milk and curd simultaneously since that could cause diarrhea, acidity, and gas.

How to store curd?

Since curd is a dairy product, it is at the risk of going bad; therefore, it is essential to store it in your refrigerator and ensure you use it within a day.

Wrapping up

Curd is highly nutritious and can bring your body various benefits.

It can help maintain cardiovascular health while also building immunity.

The vitamins in curd also aid in protecting our body while also benefiting it both internally and externally.

As a kid, I was made to eat two bowls of curd a day; maybe it did work out in the long run.

How many bowls of curd do you consume daily? Is it going to change after reading this article?

Let us know in the comments below!

References

  1. – NIH. “Lactose intolerance.” Medline Plus,
  2. – USDA. “[HISTORICAL RECORD]: PLAIN YOGURT.” Food Data Central
  3. – Naglaa Hani El-Abbadi,1 Maria Carlota Dao,1 and Simin Nikbin Meydani. “Yogurt: role in healthy and active aging.” PMC, 2014,
  4. – Seyed Hossein Davoodi,a,b Roghiyeh Shahbazi,c Saeideh Esmaeili,d Sara Sohrabvandi,d,* AmirMohamamd Mortazavian,e,* Sahar Jazayeri,e and Aghdas Taslimi. “Health-Related Aspects of Milk Proteins.” PMC, 2016,
  5. – M Nikolova, R Tsikalova, R Nikolov, D Piperova. “Effect of orotic acid on the excitability processes in central nervous system and on cerebral circulation in cats.” PubMed, 1982
  6. – E Laird 1, A M Molloy 2, H McNulty 3, M Ward 3, K McCarroll 4, L Hoey 3, C F Hughes 3, C Cunningham 4, J J Strain 3, M C Casey. “Greater yogurt consumption is associated with increased bone mineral density and physical function in older adults.” PubMed, 2017,
  7. – S N Meydani 1, W K Ha. “Immunologic effects of yogurt.” PubMed, 2000
  8. – Justin R Buendia 1, Yanping Li 2, Frank B Hu 2, Howard J Cabral 3, M Loring Bradlee 1, Paula A Quatromoni 4, Martha R Singer 1, Gary C Curhan 5, Lynn L Moore. “Regular Yogurt Intake and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Hypertensive Adults.” PubMed, 2018,
  9. – J Eales 1, I Lenoir-Wijnkoop 2, S King 1, H Wood 1, F J Kok 3, R Shamir 4, A Prentice 5, M Edwards 1, J Glanville 1, R L Atkinson. “Is consuming yoghurt associated with weight management outcomes? Results from a systematic review.” PubMed, 2016
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