Russia loves dairy
Fermented dairy products represent a large food group in Russia and are an important source of dietary nutrients, like protein and calcium. Researchers from the Institute of Nutrition in Moscow investigated the association between obesity prevalence and fermented dairy products consumption in Russian adults, controlling for age and gender. Dietary intake (24h recall) and anthropometric measures were obtained for 72,400 adults, over the age of 19 years, who participated in the RLMS-HSE 1994-2012 study.
Women eat more yogurt
Daily average intake (g/day) of yogurt, kefir and curd, significantly increased from 1994 to 2012, while the consumption of local fermented drinks remained stable. Kefir intake was higher among men, whereas yogurt and curd consumption were significantly higher among women. Over the age of 40 years, yogurt consumption tends to decrease for both genders, whereas kefir and curd are eaten more frequently in old age.
Yogurt and curd support prevention
The lower prevalence of obesity may depend on gender and the type of product that is consumed. Yogurt and curd were associated with a lower obesity prevalence (-25% and -20% respectively) in women. In men, a 22% decrease in obesity prevalence was only observed, when considering the sum of fermented dairy products (kefir, yogurt, local fermented drinks).
Check out here more data about the benefits of yogurt for weight management.
