Yogurt may reduce risk of heart diseases

Massachusetts, February 16: According to the researchers, clinical trials have stated that high intake of yogurt may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease among men and women with hypertension.

The study, published in the American Journal of Hypertension, analyzed about 74,000 men and women with high blood pressure diagnoses. They found that people who ate yogurt more than two times a week had a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.

Lead author Justin Buendia, PhD, who works at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a press release that the study could change the way we look at what constitutes a healthy diet.

"We hypothesized that long-term yogurt intake might reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems since some previous small studies had shown beneficial effects of fermented dairy products," he said in the release.

"Here, we had a very large cohort of hypertensive men and women, who were followed for up to 30 years. Our results provide important new evidence that yogurt may benefit heart health alone or as a consistent part of a diet rich in fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains."

The researchers examined two already existing datasets: the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which are both conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and funded by federal grants. Women who ate yogurt regularly were 17 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular problems, while men who loved the dairy treat had their risk lowered by 21 percent.