Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Yogurt Consumption may Prevent Diabetes (New Research)

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:50 PM PDT

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Cambridge scientists have just discovered that higher consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products, including all yogurt varieties and some low-fat cheeses (cottage cheese), reduced the risk of new-onset type2 diabetes by 28%.

 

Scientists also found that consuming yogurt in the place of other snacks, like crisps (potato chips), also reduced the risk of developing type2 diabetes.

 

“This research highlights that specific foods may [play] an important role in the prevention of type2 diabetes,” said lead scientist Dr Nita Forouhi, from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge.

 

Why Yogurt?

 

The authors concluded that consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products was associated with a decreased risk of developing future type 2 diabetes for several reasons.

 

• Fermented dairy products may exert beneficial effects against diabetes through probiotic bacteria and a special form of vitamin K (from the fermentation).

 

• Dairy products contain beneficial constituents such as vitamin D, calcium and magnesium.

 

How Much Yogurt Should I Eat?

 

This risk reduction was observed among individuals who consumed an average of four and a half standard 125g (1/2 cup) pots of yogurt per week (4.5 cups total). The same applies to other low-fat fermented dairy products, like low-fat cottage cheese.

 

Low Fat Only

 

Dairy products are an important source of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. However, they are also a source of saturated fat, which dietary guidelines currently advise people not to consume in high quantities, instead recommending they replace these with lower fat options.

 

The Study

 

The new Norfolk study, published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes), followed more than 25,000 men and women living in Norfolk, UK for 11 years. Healthier lifestyles, education, obesity levels, other eating habits and total calorie intake were taken into account.

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Reference:

 

O’Connor, Laura M., and Marleen A. H. Lentjes, Robert N. Luben, Kay-Tee Khaw, Nicholas J. Wareham, Nita G. Forouhi. Dietary dairy product intake and incident type 2 diabetes: a prospective study using dietary data from a 7-day food diary. Diabetologia, 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s00125-014-3176-1


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