Yoghurt could reduce type 2 diabetes risk

A recent study suggests that increased consumption of yoghurt may help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes developing.
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health sought to investigate the association between dairy consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes among adults.
Their study, published in BMC Medicine, saw the research team follow almost 200,000 men and women aged 25-75, for up to 30 years.
They monitored their health by conducting periodic interviews, with detailed food questionnaires filled in regarding their diet. All participants were free from diabetes at the beginning of the study.
Type 2 diabetes cases
15,156 cases of type 2 diabetes were identified during the study, and after dietary factors and chronic disease factors such as age and body mass index were adjusted, the researchers found that total dairy consumptio, of high or low fat, was not associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Yoghurt, however, was associated with an 18 per cent reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes for participants who ate 28 grams a day.
Lead author, Mu Chen concluded: “Some mechanisms suggest that yogurt is special,” he said. “There is some research suggesting that the probiotic bacteria in yogurt may be beneficial. But there is no certain conclusion yet.
“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”.
This research backs up a study that was revealed earlier this year by Cambridge University, who reported that yoghurt intake was associated with a 28 per cent decrease in the risk of type 2 diabetes developing.