Like apples, one yogurt a day could keep the doctor away … Regularly eating dairy products, yogurts but also low-fat fermented milk cheeses, plays a preventive role against type 2 diabetes. A study by the University of Cambridge, published in the specialized journal Diabetologia, shows that consumption in modest quantities of these products for eleven years lowers the risk of being diabetic by 24%. Scientists say this is the first study to highlight the influence of early eating habits on the prevention of chronic disease risk.
“This study shows that specific foods play an important role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and that the general public should be made aware of it,” Dr. Nita Forouhi, of the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge.
The daily diet of 4,255 British participants was observed for 11 years. 753 people developed type 2 diabetes during this time.
The volunteers who ate the most low-fat dairy products reduced their risk of diabetes the most. Yoghurts represented 85% of the dairy products studied. On their own, they lowered the risk by 28%. This benefit was observed for 4 and a half yogurts per week containing less than 4% fat.
A yoghurt to taste
These benefits are explained by the action of probiotics, calcium and vitamin D present in fermented milk and dairy products.
For the researchers, this study confirms the benefit of adopting good eating habits and, for example, replacing sugary snacks with white cheeses and / or low-fat yogurts.
