Nutritional and therapeutic value of fermented milk products

Abstract

Fermentation with lactic acid bacteria is one of the oldest methods of food processing and food preservation used by mankind. Fermented dairy products have essentially the same caloric value as the milk from which they are made, but they are more nutritious due to predigestion by cultures of their components as proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Lactobacillic fermented product such as yogurt could be of benefit to persons with lactose intolerance. Several fermented dairy products contain higher levels of B-vitamins than milk and their counterparts prepared by direct acidification. In addition, during fermentation the lactobacilli can also produce natural antibiotics which are active against a wide variety of Gram- positive and Gram- negative organisms including pathogens, natural anticholesteremic compounds and natural anticarcinogenic compounds.