Is Frozen Yogurt Bad For You?
Also Known As: frogurt, froyo
Short answer
Many people are under the impression that frozen yogurt is healthy and much better for you than ice cream. This low fat dessert, however, is merely a bowl of sugar in disguise.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Major advertising and crowd popularity have given frozen yogurt a glowing health halo. This has been deceptive to many consumers that honestly think that they are getting a healthy treat that tastes just as good as ice cream. Although their assumptions are not entirely wrong, frozen yogurt is not as healthy as it is made up to be.
There are some benefits to eating yogurt over milk or cream. Namely, yogurt contains beneficial probiotics that are good for your digestive system and gut health. Probiotics have shown to prevent diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal infections, yeast infections, colds and the flu.
However, when yogurt is frozen and processed, this can kill off the good gut bacteria and therefore eliminate the main reason we choose frozen yogurt over ice cream. Some companies add in extra probiotics to their products to supplement for the loss.
A typical 1 cup serving of frozen yogurt can have about 220 calories, 6 grams of fat, 35 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Ice cream tends to have less protein and be higher in calories, fat and sugar.
So, frozen yogurt has the potential to be better than ice cream, it just all depends on the toppings. Do you go for the fruity pebbles, marshmallows and chocolate syrup or fresh fruit with nuts? People love the novelty of creating their own sugary experiment so they want to cover their yogurt in every tasty candy topping imaginable… and that is where this innocent snack takes a nosedive.
Ice cream gets the bad rap for having more fat, but the main issue here is the sugar content. Fat, although unhealthy, leaves you feeling more satisfied than sugar and without a major spike in blood glucose levels. In the long-term, excess sugar contributes to many health problems such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and an overworked and fatty liver.
Frozen yogurt is also very processed and can contain additives that cause negative health effects. In a national survey of popular fro-yo shops, the following controversial ingredients were found: maltodextrin, sodium citrate, disodium phosphate and propylene glycol monoesters, guar gum, cellulose gum and carrageenan.
Possible short-term side effects
- nausea
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sugar rush
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allergic reaction
Possible long-term side effects
- obesity
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heart disease
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hypertension
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type 2 diabetes
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fatty liver
Ingredients to be aware of
Benefits
- may help prevent:
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diarrhea
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irritable bowl syndrome
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intestinal infections
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yeast infections
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cold/flu
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