Daily yogurt consumption may decrease risk of type 2 diabetes

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, have found that a higher intake of yogurt decreases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

For the study, researchers sought to investigate the association between total and certain types of dairy consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in adults. The researchers analyzed data from three cohort studies that only included health care professionals. They identified 194,519 participants eligible for this study.

All participants had completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire at the beginning of the study and were followed up with every 2 years to complete further questionnaires. No participants had cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes when the study started.

During the follow-up period, researchers identified 15,156 cases of type 2 diabetes and found no link between total dairy consumption and the development of type 2 diabetes; however, there was an association between high yogurt consumption and a decreased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

The study determined that consuming 28 grams of yogurt per day decreased the risk for developing type 2 diabetes by 18%. The researchers note that randomized clinical trials are required to further assess the association.