What Are the Benefits of Icelandic Yogurt?

Weight Loss Benefits

A 6-ounce container of plain, skim-milk Icelandic yogurt contains 17 grams of protein. Not only is that up to three times more protein per serving than regular non-fat yogurt, but it's also a couple grams more than a serving of Greek yogurt. For the average woman on a 2,000-calorie diet, this amount would be about 37 percent of her daily protein requirement. Researchers say that a diet rich in lean protein sources like low- or non-fat dairy products may help you feel fuller longer and allow you eat less each day. In addition, if you're watching your calorie intake and including more dairy products like skyr in your diet, you might be more successful at losing weight, reported a 2012 study.

Reproductive System Benefits

Typical commercial brands of Icelandic yogurt contain a variety of live active bacterial cultures, including L. acidophilus, B. lactis and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. The names of the different bacteria aren't important, but what they might be able to do for your health is worth your attention. The bacteria in skyr is a type of probiotic, or "good" bacteria. This type of bacteria helps keep your levels of potentially harmful bacteria in check. Taking antibiotics or using contraceptives like birth control pills or spermicides can throw the bacteria population in your reproductive tract out of whack, making you more likely to get a urinary tract, vaginal or yeast infection. Regularly eating yogurt with beneficial bacteria may help prevent these infections, says the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide.

Cardiovascular Benefits

If you choose low- or non-fat Icelandic yogurt instead of full-fat brands -- and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that you should -- you'll add only trace amounts of fat and saturated fat to your diet, and only 2 percent of your recommended cholesterol limit for the day per serving. Compare that to the 5 percent of your daily fat and 10 percent of your saturated fat limit that you get from a serving of skyr made with cream and you'll see why low- and non-fat yogurt can help lower your risk of heart disease and high blood cholesterol.

Bone Benefits

Women should have at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. A 6-ounce serving of non-fat Icelandic yogurt will provide you with 20 percent of this recommendation. You've heard that not getting enough calcium can greatly increase an older woman's risk of developing osteoporosis, but you might not be aware that your bone mass starts decreasing as soon as you hit your 30s, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. After that point, you start losing more bone than your body can replace. You can't reverse this natural process, but you can lower the amount of bone you lose with a diet high in calcium-rich foods like skyr.