Working with the Yogurt Council made me aware of the huge number of health benefits of yoghurt. And today, many experts say we should have at least a pot a day, and if possible, two. I usually have mine as dessert, but the latest research says I should be?eating it as a starter.

与酸奶委员会的合作使我意识到：酸奶的好处实在是太多了。现而今，很多专家表示，每天应至少喝一罐酸奶，如果可能的话，请喝两罐。通常，我都把酸奶当作甜点，但最近的研究表明，应该将酸奶作为开胃菜。

That was the suggestion from a US study which found that women who ate yoghurt before a high-fat, high-carb breakfast (two sausage muffins and two hash browns) had lower levels of inflammation in their blood and less blood sugar than those who hadn't.

美国的一项研究得出了这样的结果，研究发现：摄入高脂、高碳水化合物的早餐之前（两个香肠松饼、两个土豆煎饼），相较不喝酸奶的女性，喝酸奶的女性有着更低的血液炎症水平、血糖水平也更低。

"Yoghurt before a meal is a feasible way to improve post-meal ?metabolism¹ and may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic² diseases," said the team from Wisconsin, US.

"餐前喝酸奶是提高餐后代谢的可行方法，或有助于降低患心血管和代谢疾病的风险，"美国威斯康辛州的研究小组说道。

A simple pot of yoghurt can ease hay fever symptoms, keep bones strong and even reduce the risk of heart disease. It may also help with weight loss and prevent infections. And perhaps more surprising is the more fat there is in a yoghurt, the better. Yoghurt is heavyweight nutrition, providing around a third of our daily iodine³ and calcium⁴, and nearly 15% of our daily protein, which is similar to a boiled egg.

一杯酸奶就可以缓解花粉热症状、保持骨骼强健、甚至还能降低患心脏病的风险。喝酸奶还有助于减肥、预防感染。更令人惊讶的是，酸奶中的脂肪越多、越有益健康。酸奶是重量级的营养成分，提供人体日常所需碘元素和钙元素的30%，提供近15%的日常所需蛋白质，几乎与白煮蛋所提供的含量持平。

It also provides 30% of our daily phosphorus, needed for healthy bones and teeth, and around a fifth of our recommended amount of vitamin B12 (to release energy from food) and potassium (which helps with healthy blood pressure).

同时还能提供日常所需磷元素的30%，而健康的骨骼和牙齿离不开磷元素。酸奶约提供日常所需维生素B12（释放食物能量）和钾元素（保持血压处于健康水平）的近五分之一。

My mum used to feed my sister and I sour milk and it's the curdling⁵ that makes yoghurt a wonder food. Yoghurts are made by fermenting⁶ (curdling) milk with two bacteria, streptococcus thermophilus and lactobacillus bulgaricus, which produce an acid that preserves the yoghurt and kills off harmful bacteria such as salmonella .

以前，母亲总让我和妹妹吃酸奶，这一凝乳赋予了酸奶如此多的神奇益处。酸奶是由两种细菌（嗜热链球菌和保加利亚乳杆菌）发酵的牛奶制作而成，有助于产生使酸奶保鲜并杀死沙门氏菌等有害细菌的酸。

Fermented⁷ yoghurt helps control blood pressure and therefore the risk of heart attack and stroke. Fermentation makes good bacteria called probiotics, which contribute to our gut⁸ health, and prebiotics, which feed the good bacteria. Together they boost our immunity⁹ levels.

发酵酸奶有助于控制血压，从而控制心脏病和中风的风险。发酵会产生益生菌，有助于肠道健康，同时会产生喂养益生菌的益生元。两者可增强免疫力。