Yoghurt consumption found helpful at lowering type 2 diabetes

Published in BMC Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a study conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that yoghurt has been found helpful at lowering the risks of developing type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Frank Hu, the study senior researcher states that “We found that higher intake of yogurt is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas other dairy foods and consumption of total dairy did not show this association. The consistent findings for yogurt suggest that it can be incorporated into a healthy dietary pattern.”

With an estimated 366 million people afflicted with type 2 diabetes around the world, with fears that this number could rise to 552 million in 2030, this is a silent killer disease that needs urgent medical and alternative medicine approach. Twenty-six million people are said to be suffering from type 2 diabetes in the US, and people with this disease runs the increased risks of developing coronary heart disease, strokes, and other health complications.

“The consistent findings for yogurt suggest that it can be incorporated into a healthy dietary pattern,” write the authors. “However, randomized clinical trials are warranted to further examine the causal effects of yogurt consumption as well as probiotics on body weight and insulin resistance.” And lead author Mu Chen adds that “Our study benefited from having such a large sample size, high rates of follow up and repeated assessment of dietary and lifestyle factors.”

After adjusting factors like age and body mass index in participants that took part in the study, the team of researchers found that there is a high association between the consumption of dairy products like cheese, skimmed milk, whole milk, and yoghurt with lower risks of developing type 2 diabetes in most individuals. It is believed that the presence of calcium, magnesium, fatty acids, probiotic bacteria, and antioxidants in yoghurt and dairy products have been what is responsible for lower possibility of developing type 2 diabetes.