A recent study shows that eating low-fat yogurt can cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study analyzed the daily eating habits of 3502 participants with an average age of 59. Over an 11 year follow-up period, researchers found that the participants with the highest low-fat diary intake (87% of which was low-fat yogurt) had a 28% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in comparison with those who ate very little or no low-fat yogurt.

 

The author also analyzed the effect of substituting low-fat yogurt for other snacks such as chips, cakes, and pudding. The data shows a 47% lower risk for diabetes when consuming yogurt in place of these other snacks.

 

So the next time you need a snack, reach for a cup of yogurt instead of that bag of chips.

 

Source: O’Conner L, Lentjes M, Luben R, et al. Dietary dairy product intake and incident type 2 diabetes: a prospective study using dietary data from a 7-day food diary. Diabetologia, 2014; 57: 909-917.

Yogurt & Diabetes