Opening a tub of yogurt to find a pool of liquid sitting on the top is the worst thing. It looks so unappetising, and you’re stuck with a difficult decision: Stir it in or pour it out?
A doctor has gone viral on TikTok after explaining that you should always pick the first option because while it looks disgusting, that layer of water is actually the most beneficial for your health.
What that liquid in your yogurt is
“Have you ever noticed a watery pool of liquid on top of your yogurt? Dr. Karan Raj said. “Don’t be so quick to drain it off thinking your yogurt has gone bad.”
He explained that the mysterious puddle is whey, which is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained.
“When milk is coagulated to get cheese or yogurt, you get curds, the solid part. You also get whey, the liquid part,” the doctor said.
“The longer you leave your yogurt unstirred, the more likely it is that whey will build up, rise to the top and leave a watery film.”
He explained that whey is the component that makes the yogurt soft and thin, and it’s “full of essential nutrients” including protein, Calcium, B12 and probiotics.
It’s most commonly eaten as a source of protein, which is needed in your diet to help your body repair cells and make new ones, MedlinePlus explains.
This separation is a process called syneresis, which is when liquid extracts from a gel. It also happens to other products like ketchup and sour cream.
How to avoid the liquid layer
If the liquid at the top of your yogurt really puts you off, Dr. Karan Raj recommended choosing Greek or Icelandic yogurt instead.
“These are yogurts that have been strained of whey to be ultra thick and firm,” he said. “So you’re more likely to get this ‘yogurt pee’ from regular non-Greek yogurts.”
Ones without added stabilizers are even more likely to have whey separation, but there’s nothing bad about it at all.
Just stir the whey back in every time is rises to the top and enjoy eating the yogurt as normal!
Dr. Karan Rangarajan is a surgeon and educator based in the UK who gained his medical degree from Imperial College London. On top of being a practising surgeon for the NHS, he lectures at the University of Sunderland and released his own health guide called This Book May Save Your Life.
