Skyr: Debunking the Myths and Marketing Hype

2023-11-05 11:50:00

Skyr is an Icelandic dairy specialty that is increasingly present on the French table, seduced by its richness in protein and its appetite suppressant effect touted on the packaging. But in sa note du 2 novembre 2023the UFC-Que Choisir association puts a damper on the virtues attributed to it.

Skyr: a truly beneficial protein intake?

During its investigation, the consumer defense association noticed that skyr is generally sold “between 3 and 6 times more expensive than low-fat white cheese”. And for her, the composition of the product does not justify this significant difference. Although it indeed contains on average 30% more protein than traditional low-fat bench cheese, healthy people benefit little from this additional intake.

“The vast majority of French people, including vegetarians, ingest more than enough protein”, says Stéphane Walrand, researcher in human nutrition at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Inrae), interviewed by UFC Que Choisir. His colleague, Claire Gaudichon, expert in nutrition and eating behavior, notes for her part that it is also “rarely useful to increase it, even if you practice physical activity regularly.”

“The only ones for whom skyrs might be of some use are seniors, entrusts Stéphane Walrand to the association, because from the age of sixty, we sometimes lack protein, which promotes muscle wasting and increases the risk of loss of autonomy with age. A few grams more per serving are, in this case, always good to have.”

Appetite suppressant proteins: an effect not clearly demonstrated

What regarding the appetite suppressant effect of proteins promised by the brands selling this dairy product? For the specialists interviewed, it is not “clearly demonstrated”. Furthermore, research carried out on the subject has established that the appetite suppressant effect of proteins is only observed above 20 g per serving. However, the skyrs do not bring “only 2 or 3 g more than the average low-fat white cheese”. The rate would thus be insufficient to “have an effect on satiety”, according to experts.

Another problematic point: the consistency of the skyr. Proteins cause the texture of products to thicken. Ciaran Forde of Wageningen University (Netherlands), also interviewed by UFC-Que Choisir, notes that “thicker pastas are consumed in smaller quantities”. Result: the level of protein ingested by Skyrs fans is therefore not necessarily higher than with a standard yogurt… and hunger can, by domino effect, arrive just as quickly.

1699193257
#health #benefits #questioned

Leave a Replay