Functional Yogurt

Yogurt has evolved from a traditional fermented dairy food into a versatile functional food with considerable potential for improving nutritional quality and supporting human health. Advances in food science have encouraged the development of innovative yogurt products through the incorporation of plant-based milk, fruits, vegetables, vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals, and diverse bioactive compounds. These approaches can enhance the nutritional value, sensory characteristics, technological functionality, and health-promoting properties of yogurt while responding to changing consumer preferences. This book provides an integrated overview of recent advances in functional yogurt development, beginning with non-dairy yogurt and processing strategies for improving its quality. It then examines yogurt fortification with fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and bioactive ingredients, followed by the functional roles of nutraceuticals. Particular attention is given to antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, antibacterial, and anticancer properties, highlighting yogurt's potential as a health-promoting food.