Is Sour Cream Healthy? Nutritional Value, Benefits & Downsides Of Sour Cream In 2024

Sour cream is frequently used as a condiment or an ingredient for cooking or baking. While many people eat sour cream, they may not know if it is a healthy food.

There are many varieties of sour cream on the market, so it can be hard to navigate if sour cream is healthy and which type is healthiest. This article will explore the question, is sour cream healthy?

Is Sour Cream Healthy?

Regular sour cream contains at least 18% milk fat. The milk fat content of sour cream can vary depending on the milk fat percent of the cream or milk it was made from.

Sour cream can be added to a healthy diet if consumed in moderation. While sour cream does have a relatively high fat content, there are reduced-fat varieties on the market. However, less fat does not always mean it is a superior product. The nutrition of regular sour cream and fat-free sour cream will be explored in the section below. 

Sour Cream Nutrition

The nutritional value of sour cream varies depending on the type of sour cream you purchase. 

There are various types of sour cream available at your local grocery store, including regular sour cream, also known as full-fat sour cream, light sour cream, and fat-free sour cream. There are also dairy-free sour creams and probiotic sour creams available. 

See sour cream nutrition facts for regular sour cream and full-fat sour cream listed below. 

One tablespoon of regular sour cream:^[1]

• Energy (calorie): 29.7 kilocalories
• Protein: 0.366 grams
• Fat: 2.91 grams
  • Saturated fat: 1.52 grams
  • Unsaturated fat: 0.81 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0.695 grams
• Calcium: 15.2 milligrams
• Phosphorous: 11.4 milligrams
• Potassium: 18.8 milligrams 
• Sodium: 4.65 milligrams

One tablespoon of fat-free sour cream:^[2]

• Energy (calorie): 11.1 kilocalories
• Protein: 0.465 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
  • Saturated fat: 0 grams
  • Unsaturated fat: 0 grams
• Carbohydrates: 2.34 grams
• Calcium: 18.8 milligrams
• Phosphorous: 14.2 milligrams
• Potassium: 19.4 milligrams 
• Sodium: 21.2 milligrams

Is Sour Cream Unhealthy?

is sour cream bad for you? Based on the nutrition facts, it is clear that regular sour cream has a higher saturated fat content than fat-free sour cream but a lower sodium content. While selecting the fat-free sour cream may be healthier because it has lower saturated fat, you should be mindful of the sodium content in the fat-free sour cream. The nutrition information is for one tablespoon; usually, two tablespoons are used as a serving.

This is because both saturated fat and sodium, when consumed in excess, can have a negative impact on your heart health^[3] and increase your risk for heart disease. This does not mean sour cream is unhealthy; however, if you were to eat large quantities of sour cream frequently, there could be negative health consequences. 

All this means is that you should be mindful of how much you consume. It is also good to remember that being fat-free doesn’t always mean being healthier.

As long as you eat sour cream in moderation and consume a diet full of a variety of healthy foods, sour cream can be part of a healthy diet.

Sour Cream Benefits

Bone Health

A great nutritional component of sour cream is its calcium,^[4] phosphorous, and vitamin B12 content. Calcium and phosphorous are essential nutrients we need to ensure we have healthy bones and teeth. Calcium also keeps our tissue rigid, strong, and flexible.

Most of our calcium consumption comes from dairy products and foods with dairy ingredients. Calcium absorption for dairy products is about 30 percent, which is higher than dairy absorption from non-dairy food sources. This is why dairy products are great to include in your diet.

Using sour cream as a condiment or as an ingredient in baking or cooking is a method to get a bit more calcium into your diet.

Gut Health

Is sour cream good for gut health? The lactic acid bacteria used to make sour cream is a probiotic.^[5] Probiotics are health-benefiting live microorganisms. Research on probiotics is still evolving, but it is thought they can help your body maintain a healthy level of microorganisms and influence your immune response. 

A 2019 review^[6] determined using probiotics could be an effective treatment for constipation. The researcher found that an imbalance of the gut microbiota could contribute to constipation and constipation-type irritable bowel syndrome. 

Probiotics are thought to be able to target the gut microbiota imbalance, therefore treating constipation. Further research is needed to confirm these findings. 

Although these research findings are exciting, it is important to remember that most store-bought sour creams are pasteurized, meaning the live bacteria have been killed through processing.

There are, however, some sour cream products on the market that have had probiotics added back in after the pasteurization process has occurred.

Adverse Effects Of Sour Cream

Pregnancy

While sour cream is generally safe to consume during pregnancy,^[7] if you are pregnant, you should be certain you are only consuming sour cream that has undergone pasteurization. 

This is because pasteurization is a process that kills harmful bacteria. Women during pregnancy experience immune system changes making themselves and their unborn child more susceptible to foodborne illnesses; therefore, unpasteurized foods should be avoided.

If sour cream has been pasteurized, it will be clearly labeled on the food packaging. Most sour creams in the store will be pasteurized, so they should not be hard to find. 

While there are many recipes online for homemade sour cream, it is best to avoid them until after your pregnancy ends and just stick to store-bought sour cream that has been pasteurized.

Heart Health

As mentioned earlier in this article, regular sour cream contains higher amounts of saturated fat. However, fat-free sour cream is higher in sodium. Both sodium and saturated fat can negatively impact heart health and lead to heart disease.

The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than five to six percent of your daily calories from saturated fat. This is because when saturated fat is consumed in excess, it can lead to high cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease. 

Regarding sodium, the American Heart Association recommendation is to consume no more than 2,300 milligrams a day. Consuming sodium in excess can result in high blood pressure, negatively impacting heart health.

This is why it is important to eat sour cream in moderation and not consume large quantities. As sour cream is most often used as a condiment, 

Does Sour Cream Affect Your Weight?

Is sour cream fattening? Sour cream, like any food, has the potential to influence your weight. So, is sour cream healthy for weight loss, or does it cause weight gain? 

Ultimately weight management^[8] is about living a healthy lifestyle, meaning consuming healthy foods, exercising regularly, and managing stress healthfully. Balanced eating involves enjoying a variety of foods. 

While sour cream is not a miracle food that promotes weight loss, it can be added to various healthy meals to enhance flavor and mouthfeel. 

Should You Eat It?

If you enjoy sour cream, you should eat it. Like all foods, it is best to eat sour cream in moderation. Sour cream can be incorporated into your diet in a variety of ways. It is often used as a condiment, an ingredient for baking, or a base for dips, salad dressings, soups, and sauces. 

Some ideas for incorporating sour cream into a balanced diet are:

• Use it as a topping on a baked potato.
• Use it as a topping for homemade tacos.
• Topping your favorite vegetable salad with a homemade sour cream-based salad dressing. 
• Experiment with different baked goods that are made with sour cream.

The Takeaway

While sour cream can be high in sodium and saturated fat, as long as you are not eating large quantities and have a diet full of a variety of healthy food, it can be part of a healthy diet.

As a dairy product, sour cream can offer some health benefits that may not be obtained through other popular condiments. Some varieties of sour cream can contain probiotics providing potential gut health benefits.

Remember to be mindful when shopping for sour cream, as the low-fat or fat-free options are not always the best option due to the sodium content. Overall, if sour cream is something you enjoy, go ahead and have some.

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