This is the finding of a randomised double-blind controlled trial among institutionalised women with a mean age of 85.5 years. During the 56-day trial, the participants consumed two 125-g servings of yogurt – either fortified with calcium and vitamin D or not – as part of their daily diet. The two fortified yoghurts provided supplemental levels of vitamin D (10 mcg/day) and calcium (800 mg/day).
However, the consumption of dairy products is often below the recommended intake. An Australian study assessed the impact of this low consumption of dairy products on healthcare costs in Australia and on the Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY), which measures the number of years lost due to ill health.
In the financial year 2010-2012, costs linked to low consumption of dairy products were estimated at USD 1.6 billion, with a loss of 75,012 DALY. The authors concluded that the cost-efficiency of interventions using dairy products to reduce the costs associated with diet-induced diseases should be further developed and assessed.
Scientists at Erasmus University in Rotterdam (Netherlands) have developed a model to estimate the potential impact of dairy foods on the costs linked to osteoporosis. Their model is based on the hip fractures that could potentially be prevented through a higher intake of dairy products.
The results show that an increased intake of dairy products by one portion a day could potentially reduce the costs associated with hip fractures by €129 million in France, €34 million in Sweden and €6 million in the Netherlands.
Many studies have identified a link between osteoporosis and hypertension. A cross-sectional study of 3,301 postmenopausal women reveals that the participants suffering from hypertension are more often also affected by osteoporosis, and that the prevalence of hypertension is higher among the women suffering from osteoporosis.
The proportion of women with hypertension, osteoporosis, and the two diseases combined rises significantly as their dairy intake decreases. A dairy intake in the lowest quartile was a significant predictor of osteoporosis and hypertension. The authors suggest that a low intake of dairy products may constitute a pathogenic link between these two conditions.
In this cross-over study they assessed the effects of a diet containing non-fermented full-fat dairy products (butter, cream and ice cream) and a diet containing fermented full-fat dairy products (yoghurt, cheeses) or low-fat dairy products (milk and yoghurt) in twelve overweight or obese subjects.
The study shows that low-fat dairy products are not associated with a more favourable biomarker profile for cardiovascular diseases than full-fat dairy products. Moreover, fermented full-fat dairy products are associated with the most favourable metabolic profile.
This study assessed the link between dairy food consumption and the risk of metabolic syndrome in a sample of 4,862 Koreans aged 19 or older.
The study showed that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome is significantly lower among subjects with the highest levels of milk and yoghurt consumption. The analysis revealed that a high milk intake is associated with a lower risk of developing abdominal obesity and high fasting blood glucose levels.
Meanwhile, a high yoghurt intake is associated with a lower risk of low HDL cholesterol. There is also a significant link between a high milk or yoghurt intake and a lower risk of metabolic syndrome (30% lower, odds ratio = 0.71).
A team of researchers from Boston analysed the link between yoghurt consumption, diet quality and metabolic profile in 6,526 adults who participated in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring (1998-2001) and Third Generation (2002-2005).
The results show that, compared to those who did not consume any, the participants who consumed yogurt had higher potassium levels and were less inclined to have a lack of vitamins B2 and B12, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Moreover, yogurt consumption is associated with lower levels of triglycerides and glucose, lower systolic blood pressure and lower insulin resistance.
This study analysed the evolution of weight gain and waist circumference among participants in the Framingham Heart Study, between 1991 and 2008.
The results reveal that the participants who consumed at least three portions of dairy products a day gained, on average, 0.1 kg less than those who consumed less than one portion a day.
There is also a significant correlation between the weekly consumption of at least three portions of yoghurt and both lower yearly weight gain (-0.1 kg) and a smaller increase in waist circumference (-0.13 cm) compared to those consuming less than one portion a week.
Watch the video on the American Society of Nutrition Website:
Watch the video on the American Society of Nutrition Website:
http://visiond.com/ASN_EB13/Wed_8am_Benefits_Yogurt/Astrup.html
