25 November 2014 - Medical News Today - Yogurt could lower the risk of type 2 diabetes

"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," says senior researcher Dr. Frank Hu. "The consistent findings for yogurt suggest that it can be incorporated into a healthy dietary pattern."

The study, published in BMC Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sought to assess the association between total and individual types of dairy consumption with the incidence of type 2 diabetes among adults.

Prior to this study, earlier research had suggested that the presence of calcium, magnesium or certain fatty acids within dairy products could lower type 2 diabetes risk. It is now thought that probiotic bacteria in yogurt, with their fat profile and antioxidant status improving qualities, could lower the risk.

"Our study benefited from having such a large sample size, high rates of follow up and repeated assessment of dietary and lifestyle factors," says lead author Mu Chen.

The authors also acknowledge that their study has its limitations. Although large, the cohort samples predominantly consisted of health professionals of European ancestry, suggesting that the findings may not be representative of the whole population. Furthermore, the findings of the study are observational and do not guarantee causation.

"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."