Greece has certainly seen better days. With the small, Mediterranean nation caught in the midst of economic meltdown, you would think that anything Greek would be avoided like the plague. Yet, health buffs everywhere have recently taken a shine to a dairy product that is as Greek as it gets -- Greek yogurt.

While traditional yogurt is far from flawed, there have always been complaints about its watery taste and excess refined sugar. In fact, many traditional yogurts should rightly be labeled as junk food because they offer little if anything other than sugar.

This is where Greek yogurt comes in. Greek yogurt is not exactly a different product; in fact, the real difference compared to traditional yogurt is in the preparation. Greek yogurt is strained through a special cloth or filter to remove excess liquid whey, yielding a more concentrated product that is thick and creamy. Not only does Greek yogurt differ in consistency and taste, but it also has the following healthy perks:

health benefits of greek yogurt

Higher in protein: Yep, one cup of Greek yogurt can contain upwards of 23 grams of protein (depending on the brand). That’s nearly double its traditional counterpart.

Lower in sodium: With North American diets already swimming in sodium, there should always be a focus on eating foods lower in salt. Thankfully, many Greek yogurt brands contain up to 40% less sodium than similar traditional brands.

Reduced sugar: Although fruit-flavored varieties may contain excess sugar, non-fruit and low-fat Greek yogurts typically contain about half the refined sugar of comparative traditional yogurts.

Thicker and creamier: Many people prefer the rich and creamy taste of Greek yogurt to the watery style of traditional yogurt.

Contains active probiotic cultures: Although the same can be said of various traditional yogurts, many Greek yogurt brands contain a full complement of healthy probiotic bacterial cultures.

Of course, these perks do come at a cost, albeit minor. Greek yogurts tend to contain more calories and less calcium than traditional brands, but this is a small price to pay for all the healthy benefits you get in return.