Yoghurt consumption linked to decreased diabetes risk

Consumption of low-fat fermented dairy has been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Scientists from the University of Cambridge have found that a higher consumption of yoghurt reduces risk by 28%; consumption of low-fat fermented dairy (including all yoghurts and some low-fat cheeses) reduces risk by 24%.

“In the eternal hunt by the public (and some of the scientific community) for a food ingredient or trace element which will prevent diabetes, eating more of the otherwise unsexy low-fat yoghurt has been shown to be associated with less diabetes later on,” said Professor Lesley Campbell, director of diabetes services at St Vincent’s Hospital.

“This is not a proof of causation but it could make one hypothesise about the possibility of beneficial microbiota playing a part. Whether this stimulates the public to eat yoghurt more, or rather continue to take completely unproven but more exotic ‘natural’ minerals, elements, herbs and combinations, remains to be seen.”

In the study, the 25,639 participants in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study contributed information about their diet, lifestyle and overall heath over a decade. Participants were both male and female, aged between 45 and 74 when the study commenced.

To investigate the effect of fermented dairy on type 2 diabetes, 4000 participants were selected at random; of these, 892 had diabetes. Baseline dietary intake data was gathered using a seven-day food diary.

Overall, the researchers found that dairy intake was, in fact, not associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, participants with the highest consumption of low-fat fermented dairy had a 24% decreased risk of developing diabetes compared with those who didn’t consume these products. Analysed on its own, low-fat yoghurt was associated with a 28% decreased risk.

“Whilst foods and nutrients have important roles to play in the prevention of disease, it’s important to consider diet and dietary patterns as a whole. In the analysis of this study, the authors found that those with higher estimated dairy product intakes displayed other dietary and lifestyle features such as drinking less alcohol, smoking less and being more physically active, with higher intakes of fibre, fruit and vegetables and fewer processed foods,” said Dr Audrey Tierney, senior lecturer in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at La Trobe University.

“The key message is that it is important to look at the net effect of whole foods, dietary patterns and healthy lifestyle factors and not only isolated foods, nutrients or behaviours.”

The research was published in the February 2014 edition of Diabetologia.