Sugar, spice, and everything nice make what? Lassi. A spoon of sugar, a pinch of salt, and a mix of milk, yogurt, water, and ice blend together to bring you a heavenly drink called lassi. This carefully curated concoction can take away sweat, stress, and lethargy on a sunny day. These are not the only lassi benefits; they exacerbate the scope of nutrition and positively affect your mind and mood too.
Why limit its consumption to Ramzan or a Sunday breakfast only? Drink your lassi every day and let it do its magic on your overall health. The yogurt in lassi is the main ingredient that brings the maximum health benefits. The milk and the optional pera (makhan) also bring in their due share of benefits, all adding up to the mighty lassi benefits. If you live in Pakistan or India, you are lucky to have lassi as a staple.
Not only can you make it in our own kitchen but you can get it from almost every desi restaurant. Lassi in these ingredients comes in a huge variety, from mango lassi to makhani or pera lassi. You can add anything and everything tasty to this already tasty concoction.
I don’t know how and why, but if you don’t like lassi, I can quote several lassi benefits for you to avoid the taste and still chug down at least a glass a day.
Table of Content
Lassi Benefits
Lassi benefits contain the collective benefits of yogurt, milk, makhan, and any other ingredient you add to it.
1. The Amazing Nutrition
Yogurt contains at least some amount of every nutrient that your body needs. Just one cup of yogurt provides 49% of your daily requirement of calcium. It is loaded with B vitamins, particularly in vitamin B12 and riboflavin. Both of these may protect you against heart disease and certain neural tube birth defects. Yogurt also provides 38% of your phosphorous needs and 18% of your potassium needs. You will be surprised to know that milk, a symbol of health and strength, is outgrown by yogurt in most of its nutrient content.
2. Benefits Digestive Health
The probiotics in yogurt are one of the most important nutrients to maintain a healthy gut. Yogurt contains live bacteria that benefit digestive health. To reap all the digestive health benefits of lassi, make your that the yogurt you use is not pasteurized. Some probiotics like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus lessen the uncomfortable symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It can also treat digestive system symptoms and issues in people that do not have a diagnosed digestive problems. The probiotics in lassi can protect you against antibiotic-induced diarrhea and constipation. So, if you are on an antibiotic course, having a glass of lassi for the duration of your course will do nothing but good.
3. Boosts Immunity
Lassi is abundant in lactic acid, and vitamin d, both of these can do wonders for your system. The probiotics in yogurt can strengthen your immunity and reduce your chances of getting ill. Probiotics reduce the inflammation inside the body, and inflammation is linked to various health conditions like viral infections and gut disorders. Probiotics also aid in reducing the severity, duration, and incidence of the common cold.
Lassi owes its immunity-boosting properties to magnesium, selenium, and zinc too. All these trace minerals are vital in maintaining optimal immune health. Vitamin D in your lassi also attributes to the prevention of common health issues like flu and the common cold. If you really want to use lassi to boost immunity, it is best to make it with vitamin D fortified yogurt.
Learn more about foods that may enhance your immunity.
4. Lassi Benefits For Weight Loss
Lassi can be used as a weight-loss ad weight gain tool, depending upon the ingredients you add to it. If you add cream, butter, or sugar to it, it is guaranteed to make you gain as many pounds as you want. But keeping it simple, limiting the ingredients to yogurt, water, milk, and salt can boost your weight loss efforts.
The yogurt in lassi contains proteins and calcium. These two work together to increase the levels of peptide YY and Glp1, common appetite-reducing hormones. Many studies suggest that yogurt consumption is associated with lower body weight, waist circumference, and body fat percentage. Also, if you consume lassi, you are likely to eat better overall. This is due to its filling properties, high nutrient content, and fairly low calories.
5. Lassi Benefits For Liver
According to The Yogurt Nutrition, the probiotics in yogurt have shown benefits against NAFLD. NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) is the abnormal buildup of fat in the liver that can lead to severe health complications like heart attack and stroke. Yogurt is one of the best natural sources of probiotics which, scientists believe, may lower fat levels in the liver, reduce liver damage, and regulate fats in the blood. As lassi may help in weight loss, it will automatically affect the health of your liver positively.
6. Lassi Benefits For Hair
Lassi is guaranteed to improve your overall health, and when you are healthy inside out, it shows on every pore of your body, including your hair. The yogurt in lassi deep conditions your hair. If you want to give your hair a lassi wash or mask, you might want to skip out on adding sugar because you don’t want your hair to be a sweet sticky mess.
Side Effects Of Lassi
Just like the lassi benefits, the side effects of lassi are the collective side effects of all its main ingredients. If you are not allergic to any of the ingredients, there are no significant side effects of lassi.
Lactose Intolerance And Milk Allergy
If you are lactose intolerant, lassi might upset your overall body functions. If you are lactose intolerant, drinking lassi can lead to an upset stomach, compromised immunity, or a respiratory issue.
Weight Loss And Gain
Depending upon what you want, you might have to add or skimp on a few ingredients. If you seek weight loss, it is better to stick to yogurt, water, and salt only. If you want to gain a few pounds, you can add cream, butter, sugar, and even mangoes to your lassi.
Summary
Lassi offers you nothing but good promises for better health. But it is important to know that no single food can do it all for you. If you really want to do something for your health and well-being, it’s high time that you consult the best nutritionist. A nutritionist will help you devise a proper plan to help you achieve your health goals, keeping in mind any complications or issues you might have.
FAQs
1. Can lassi cool you off?
Yes, drinking a chilled glass of lassi will take away the heat from your body.
2. Can you drink lassi every day?
Yes, you can drink lassi every day if you are not allergic to any of its ingredients.
3. How to make lassi for people with diabetes?
Simply substitute sugar for sugar alternatives like Stevia, canderal, or Truvia.
4. Is it ok to drink peray (makhn) wali lassi?
It is ok to drink makhan wali lassi but keep in mind that it will lead to weight gain, as it is high in calories and fat content.
Book an appointment now, to answer all your queries. You can book an appointment with top nutritionists in Pakistan through Marham by calling at : 0311-1222398.
Can’t Find The App?
Android Users:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=controllers.marham.marhammed&hl=en
Drop a review for us at Playstore if you’ve had a good experience!
iPhone Users:
https://apps.apple.com/pk/app/marham-find-a-doctor/id1095243102
Stay Home Stay Safe!
