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22 Feb 2018
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6 min read
Benefits for planet health Publications

Yogurt as a sustainable food: an expert’s opinion and supporting evidence

dairy products greenhouse gas emission Nutrient density nutrient recommendations nutrient-dense food sustainable diet yogurt
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As a nutrient-dense food, what is the place of yogurt in a sustainable diet? This Digest “yogurt as a sustainable food: an expert’s opinion” is a summary based on a presentation by Dr. Adam Drewnowski at the YINI Symposium, International Congress of Dietetics, Granada, Spain, 7 September 2016.

Dr. Adam Drewnowski is Professor of Epidemiology. He also directs the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, including the Center for Obesity Research, which addresses the environmental, social and economic aspects of the obesity epidemic. Dr. Drewnowski is the inventor of the Nutrient Rich Foods Index, which rates individual foods based on their overall nutritional value. According to Drewnowski, it is important to understand that nutritional value is an integral component of sustainability.

Sustainable food isn’t just about the environment…

There are many different views as to what constitutes a sustainable food system, and what falls within the scope of the term sustainable food.
Adam Drewnowski defines the four major domains of sustainability as health, economics, society and the environment. The guidelines for sustainable food include the nutritional value of the food plus its environmental footprint, so the notion of sustainability encompasses foods that are nutrient-rich, affordable, environmentally friendly, and provide value to society. The key is to consider a food’s nutritional value, affordability and accessibility within the landscape of its impact on factors such as land use, animal welfare, labour and market conditions and economics of food supply.

According to Adam Drewnowski, nutrition and health are at the core of dietary sustainability alongside impact on the environment. Further, climate change will affect the choice of foods available – and what we eat also impacts the environment. Within this, Drewnowski refers to diets that help to create more “social value”, i.e., the value of a food in society. The notion of social value incorporates more well-being and benefit for society at large. Sustainable food systems need to balance how a food impacts the environment and the need to take care of the planet on the long term, as well as the health of people.

The dilemma

Nutrient-rich foods tend to be more expensive, whereas foods that provide “empty calories” are usually cheaper.
Nutrient-rich foods typically have a higher environmental impact and are consequently costlier in terms of environmental footprint.
Meat and dairy foods that have a high nutrient density also have higher greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs). Yet, sugar and some grains that have low GHGEs, have fewer nutrients. The key is to identify those foods which are high in nutrient density, whilst also being sustainable and affordable.

Nutrient profilling

Typically, nutrient density refers to nutrients per calorie, and they need to be differentiated from energy-dense foods that may have a high calorie content, but little or no nutrient value, often are referred to as “empty calories”. Drewnowski suggests that “energy-dense foods have more calories than nutrients, and nutrient-rich foods have more nutrients than calories.”

From Turkey to “Casino”

An adapted nutrient profiling algorithm was created for Drewnowski’s study on snacks eaten by Turkish children, and a list of local foods based on their
nutrient score was created  to separate snacks that are energy-dense from those that are nutrient-rich.
Based on these calculations, foods such as yogurt, fruit and nuts are recommended as a daily snack food for school children in Turkey.
Greenhouse gas emissions can be assigned to foods. It is possible to look at a more complete picture of foods by examining their energy density, nutrient composition, and carbon cost.
In 2008, the French retailer Casino, launched a food labelling initiative based on the carbon footprint of a range of its own-brand products. The Casino Project which involved a large number of French supermarkets, used GHGE and nutrient data to create carbon cost data. This allowed the researchers to assign the carbon cost in terms of GHGE per 100 kilocalories to a particular range of foods. Yogurt can be favorably compared with other healthy foods in terms of GHGE. Its GHGE value is lower than what is predicted by its nutrient density. Paradoxically, it is sweets and sugars that have the lowest environmental impact but they also offer the least
nutritional value.

Can eating yogurt be good for our health and the health of our planet?

Dairy products, including yogurt, provide significantly more nutrients than calories relative to the body’s needs and can be qualified as a nutrient-rich and a low energy-dense food. In nutrient profiling models, some of the highest nutrient density scores are awarded to unsweetened and low-saturated fat yogurts.

Further, protein-rich yogurt offers high quality proteins and can make a good contribution to a lower meat diet.
Milk and yogurt are higher in nutrient density than sweetened beverages, sugar and sweets; but they are also higher in carbon cost. As discussed above, foods with high energy density typically have a low carbon cost, with some exceptions such as potatoes, and fortified breakfast cereals.
One of today’s challenges is how we provide populations with enough sustainable protein. Fish, eggs and poultry are rich sources of protein, but they also have a higher carbon cost than vegetarian protein foods.

Yogurt is high in protein and has a lower carbon cost than many other options.
Yogurt and dairy products are well positioned in terms of overall nutrient value, such as calcium and high quality proteins, and overall environmental impact.
We’ve established that sustainable foods need to be nutrient-rich and planet-friendly, but what about affordability? The review by Darmon and Drewnowski highlighted the importance of affordability in developing sustainable diets.

Specifically, food patterns that are nutrient-rich, affordable, and culturally acceptable should be promoted to help alleviate socioeconomic disparities in diet quality.
Less expensive sources of calories typically include sugar, cereals, pasta, nuts, beans and milk; the latter provide good nutrition at a low cost. Using NHANES data, yogurt has a medium energy cost, and fresh salads, fruits and seafood a higher cost. Eating a healthy balanced diet appears to be in conflict with affordability, since sweets and fatty foods tend to cost less and offer lower nutrition value, while some nutrient-dense foods can be associated with higher costs. New metrics of
affordable nutrition have also confirmed that yogurts and some other dairy products such as milk are the lowest cost sources of dietary calcium and a very affordable source of high quality protein.

Yogurt is a sustainable food, and it is also an integral part of a sustainable diet. Macdiarmid et al used diet modelling to determine whether reductions in GHGEs can be achieved while meeting dietary requirements for health. Proposed diets that incorporated dairy products (including yogurt) and meat were able to meet dietary needs whilst leading to a 36% reduction in GHGEs.

Yogurt is an integral part of a varied diet. Yogurt consumers appear to have more adequate nutrient intakes, and they tend to make other healthier food choices. Yogurt consumption is also linked to other healthy lifestyle habits. It also has a low carbon footprint, whilst supplying quality proteins and minerals such as calcium. It can thus be an affordable, environmentally friendly part of nutrient-rich sustainable diets.

Download here a printable version of Digest 10

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19 Feb 2018
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3 min read
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by YINI Editorial team
Diabetes prevention Elderly Healthy Diets & Lifestyle

Yogurt and cheese may help to prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes in older adults

YINI Editorial team
The YINI team includes nutritionists, food engineers, registered dietitians and scientific writers.
appetite blood glucose dairy food intake satiety
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Including yogurt and cheese in your meals is an effective way of reducing your appetite and controlling blood glucose. This in turn may help to protect you against obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes is one of our biggest public health challenges of today. Eating foods that reduce appetite and lower the surge in blood glucose level that is seen after a meal could play an important role.

Evidence suggests that dairy products may be good candidates. However, as dairy foods vary in form and nutrient composition, different products might be expected to result in different effects, say the authors of this study.

A randomised crossover study was carried out in 30 healthy, non-obese, older adults (average age 64.6 years). The researchers compared the effects of dairy products on appetite, blood glucose and later food intake. Standard servings were given of 2% fat milk, 2% Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese and soy drinks, consumed as part of an isocaloric, high-glycaemic carbohydrate meal (bread and jam). High-glycaemic carbohydrate is broken down quickly during digestion and causes a rapid increase in blood glucose.

An unrestricted meal (rice, beef meatballs and tomato sauce) was served 3 hours after the carbohydrate meal to measure food intake.

Cheese and yogurt result in lower blood glucose than milk when consumed with carbohydrate

Cheese and yogurt resulted in lower blood glucose than milk and soy beverage after the carbohydrate meal. There were no differences between any of these when blood glucose was measured after the unrestricted meal.

There were no differences between cheese, yogurt, milk or soy drinks in blood insulin levels after the carbohydrate meal or unrestricted meal. This suggests that the differences in blood glucose levels were not due to the action of insulin.

Cheese and yogurt reduce appetite more than milk when consumed with carbohydrate

Cheese and yogurt suppressed appetite more than milk and soy beverage after the carbohydrate meal.

It is well-known that milk protein increases satiety (feeling full). However, although the yogurt serving contained 10 g more protein than the cheese serving, there were no differences in appetite between them. This might be explained by the fact that, unlike cheese, yogurt does not need to be chewed. Chewing has previously been shown to reduce hunger, possibly through hormonal mechanisms.

In addition, compared with yogurt, the cheese serving contained about three times the amount of fat, which is known to stimulate release of the satiety hormone, cholecystokinin.

Food intake was unaffected by dairy consumption

Cheese, yogurt, milk and soy beverage all resulted in similar food intake at the unrestricted meal.

The authors conclude that cheese and yogurt, when eaten with glycaemic carbohydrate at breakfast, increase satiety and lower blood glucose more than milk or a soy beverage. However, they point out that, as this study was carried out among healthy participants, it is yet to be seen whether the findings apply to people who are obese or have diabetes or pre-diabetes. It is these individuals who could benefit from this kind of research.

Find out more: read the original article.

Source: Law M, Lee YT, Vien S et al. The effect of dairy products consumed with high glycemic carbohydrate on subjective appetite, food intake, and postprandial glycemia in older adults. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2017;42(11):1210-6

YINI Editorial team
The YINI team includes nutritionists, food engineers, registered dietitians and scientific writers.
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12 Feb 2018
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3 min read
Benefits for human health Benefits for planet health Nutri-dense food

Dairy products are nutrient-rich, affordable and appealing

cost dairy environmental impact Nutrient density sustainability
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Ensuring sustainability of the human diet for our future generations requires foods and dietary patterns to be nutrient-rich, affordable, culturally acceptable, and sparing of natural resources and the environment. Milk, yogurt and other dairy products meet many of these needs.    

Issues to be considered when assessing the sustainability of foods and dietary patterns are nutrition, economics, society and the environment. Sometimes these clash, and some trade-offs need to be made, says the author of this article. For example, what is healthiest for people may not be what is best for the environment, and vice-versa.

Using various sustainability measures, the author explains which foods and dietary patterns offer most advantages.

Dairy products are nutrient-rich with low energy density

Energy-dense foods contain more calories than nutrients, whereas nutrient-rich foods contain more nutrients than calories. Qualifying nutrients include protein, fibre, vitamins (A, C and E), calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. Saturated fat, added sugar and sodium are nutrients that should be limited. However, the status of saturated fat may need to change in the light of recent research suggesting that dairy saturated fatty acids do not increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Animal-sourced foods have a greater ratio of protein to calories (protein density) than plant-based foods.

Milk and dairy products, including yogurt, provide relatively more nutrients – notably protein and calcium – than calories. Dairy products are an important source of several micronutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iodine, potassium and vitamins A, D, B2 and B12. Low-fat milk and low-fat yogurt have particularly high nutrient density. Although cheese is high in protein and calcium, its nutrient-density status is lower due to its sodium and saturated fat content.

Dairy products are cheaper than meat and more widely accepted

Providing nutritious foods at low cost is a challenge. Nutrient-rich foods (e.g. meat, poultry, fish, dairy) are generally more expensive than energy-dense foods (e.g. grain snacks, sweets, chocolate, fats and oils).

Milk and dairy products cost less than meat, poultry and fish. As well as providing high-quality protein, milk and dairy products meet calcium requirements more cheaply than any other food group.

Global food patterns are shifting from plant proteins to animal proteins. Tradition, religion and culture may influence food choices, particularly in terms of sources of protein. In some countries, milk and dairy products may be preferred to meat as a source of protein.

Modern dairy farming aims to lower the carbon footprint

Food production, distribution and storage create greenhouse gas emissions. Plant-based foods have a lower environmental impact than animal-sourced foods (on a unit-weight basis), but this is offset by their lower nutrient density.

The environmental impact of dairy farming should be weighed against the high nutrient density of milk, yogurt and cheese compared with plant-based foods, the author concludes.

Find out more: read the original article.

Source: Drewnowski A. Measures and metrics of sustainable diets with a focus on milk, yogurt, and dairy products. Nutr Rev. 2018;76(1):21-8.

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08 Feb 2018
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4 min read
IUNS - ICN 2017

Can we use our diet in order to favor a balanced gut microbiota and prevent non-communicable diseases?

bacteria fermend foods gut microbiota
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The gut microbiota is a hot topic for everyone! We all carry trillions of bacteria within our gut and these microbial companions do all kind of things for us. They help maintain our gut health, they help our immune system to develop, and they also very probably have a role over certain diseases, like type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Inappropriate dietary habits or excessive use of antibiotics are examples of elements that may lead to a disturbance in the gut microbiota composition. One possible disturbance of the gut microbiota is known as dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is observed in individuals with some chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, allergies and type 2 diabetes.

“Non-communicable diseases like type 2 #diabetes, #obesity, heart diseases represent a major #publichealth concern worldwide #yogurt2017”

A balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle can contribute to correct or prevent dysbiosis.

On a day-to-day basis, what we eat is without a doubt interacting with our microbial friends. So there is a great interest to explore how our diet habits can help us to positively impact our health and prevent dysbiosis.

A lot of research is currently exploring dietary options that may be valuable for a healthy gut microbiota. In this respect, the consumption of probiotics, which are live microbes that we consume and that confer a health benefit on the host, as well as prebiotics, which are food ingredients that favor the growth of beneficial microorganisms, draw a lot of attention. In this context, fermented foods, when they are a source of live ferments, such as yogurt, seem to offer a relevant dietary solution.

what are probiotics?
Source: an infographic by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics on the effects of probiotics and prebiotics on our microbiota

“Taking care of the #gut #microbiota through #diet appears to be an obvious strategy to preserve our health status #yogurt2017”

Fermented foods thus represent a particular nutritional interest.

On the one hand, the fermentation process, namely the transformation by microbes of foods into other foods, brings added value: enhanced safety, shelf-life and nutrition value. On the other hand, fermented foods such as yogurt can also contain live ferments, which can confer health benefits, once they are delivered into the gastrointestinal tract.

“Consumption of #probiotics & fermented foods is studied as a means to positively impact the #gut #microbiota #yogurt2017”

do probiotics improve our gut microbiota?
Source: an infographic by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics on the effects of probiotics and prebiotics on our microbiota

Key messages

  • There is growing evidence on the link between dysbiosis – a microbial imbalance in the gut microbiota – and certain pathologies. The World Health Organization identifies four main types of non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and stroke, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes). These non-communicable disseases represent a major public health concern worldwide.
  • Taking care of the gut microbiota through diet appears to be an obvious strategy to preserve our health status.
  • In this perspective, the consumption of probiotics and fermented foods is studied as a means to positively impact the gut microbiota and therefore prevent dysbiosis or any other dysfunction.
Read further about the gut microbiota, dysbiosis, probiotic and fermented foods:

 

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05 Feb 2018
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4 min read
Fermentation benefits

Dairy fermentation may hold the key to better prevention and treatment of major diseases

cancer Fermented food mental health Microbial fermentation obesity osteoporosis prebiotics probiotics
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Microbial fermentation of dairy foods guarantees extended shelf life, improves texture and flavour, and gives additional advantages relating to health promotion or disease prevention, say the authors of this review article. Early research suggests that consuming fermented dairy products may help to prevent and treat conditions such as osteoporosis, obesity, cancer and mental health disorders. 

Ongoing research in this field, including supplementation of fermented dairy products with probiotics, could lead to exciting new developments in managing diseases through food, say the authors.

Fermented foods were consumed around the world for thousands of years before any health benefits were confirmed. Traditional fermentation methods relied on bacteria that are present naturally in milk, but modern methods use defined starter cultures with known attributes. In recent years, new starter cultures have been identified using more sophisticated methods to ensure effectiveness. The authors have reviewed advances over the past 3 years in microbial dairy fermentation and our understanding of the health benefits.

Microbial fermentation generates beneficial by-products

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are usually used in dairy fermentation. LAB produce several bioactive metabolites during fermentation, including bacteriocins and peptides.

Bacteriocins are anti-microbial peptides that either kill other types of bacteria or prevent them from reproducing. Scientists are becoming increasingly interested in bacteriocins as possible alternatives to antibiotics and chemical food preservatives.

Bioactive peptides are released when proteins are broken down, either during milk fermentation or in the gut after eating fermented products containing LAB. These peptides have been linked with several health-promoting mechanisms, including lowering blood pressure and anti-clotting activities, anti-oxidant activity, and activities that modify the immune response.

Prebiotics and probiotics can confer additional benefits

Ingestion of LAB-fermented dairy products can modulate the microbiota that inhabits the gut, with potential benefits on health. Modern dairy fermentation techniques may bring about additional health benefits by adding probiotics and prebiotics.

Fermented dairy products may help fight disease

Osteoporosis

The prebiotic, fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS), has the potential to treat and possibly prevent osteoporosis. Fermented in the gut, FOS causes a drop in pH (making the gut more acidic) so that previously insoluble calcium phosphate can dissolve. The soluble calcium then diffuses through the gut wall and has beneficial effects on bone mineral density.

Obesity

Research is ongoing into whether certain bacteria in the gut contribute to obesity. Specific bacteriocins or bacteriocin-producing bacteria or bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) targeting ‘obesity’ bacteria may have the potential to reduce the risk of obesity. Fermentation of prebiotics in the gut has been linked to reduced permeability of the intestine, which may also prove to be valuable in the fight against obesity.

Cancer

Recently, bioactive peptides with potential anti-cancer activity have been identified (e.g. lactoferricin). In addition, early research suggests that probiotics and prebiotics may prove valuable in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Mental health disorders

Evidence suggests that microbes in the gut may contribute to the development of mental health disorders through the gut–brain axis. Bacteria in the gut can produce various neurotransmitters and these can reach the brain when the intestinal barrier is damaged. Probiotics in fermented dairy products could help to maintain the intestinal barrier and prevent the onset of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

Food guidelines and regulations are needed to reflect clinical findings

The authors call for more consistent national guidelines around the world and improved regulation regarding microbial fermentation and probiotics. These should reflect the findings of the numerous clinical trials showing the benefits of probiotic yogurts in health, and clinically proven health benefits should be shown in the labelling of fermented dairy products, the authors say.

Find out more: read the original article.

Source: Hill D, Sugrue I, Arendt E et al. Recent advances in microbial fermentation for dairy and health. F1000Res. 2017;6:751.

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04 Feb 2018
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1 min read
Monthly newsletter

Lactose, lactose intolerance: all you need to know!

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Read the newsletter

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01 Feb 2018
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3 min read
Benefits for planet health

Yogurt, nutrient-density and climate? Any link?

climate change healthy diet nutrient-dense yogurt
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The growing worldwide population challenges worldwide food supplies. Nutrient-dense foods are crucial to support nutrient security in the future and yogurt contains high-quality proteins, a decisive macronutrient in this matter.

Nutrient dense food for growing population needs

Consequently, the demand for yogurt and milk products is rising and the Food & Agricultural Organization (FOA) estimates that the demand for milk will increase from currently 700 to over 1000 billion kg in 2050.

In this context, improving efficiency in the dairy chain requires a nutritional and environmental impact by increased productivity of dairy cows for protein-rich milk and reduced greenhouse gas emissions while processing.

According to a Dutch research, cows are efficient convertors of human-inedible resources (low-quality proteins in grains and soy) into nutrient-dense milk and yogurt, containing essential micro-nutrients and high-quality proteins. The energy and protein efficiency of a dairy cow is already up to 25% with a return of 400% for the human-edible part.

Healthy diets and climate impact

Anyhow, the question of climate impact remains. Healthy diets can be achieved through various food combinations, which are associated with different environmental impacts, like greenhouse gas emission (GHGE).

A Danish study highlights the importance of examining these GHGE and nutritional status together when considering future dietary recommendations for a sustainable diet.

The GHGE and nutritional status of 8 different dietary scenarios (with different quantity of dairy products) were estimate, based on data of 71 highly consumed foods. For solid food items, an index was used to estimate nutrient density in relation to nutritional recommendation and climate impact: the Nutrient Density of Climate Impact (NDCI) index. NDCI index is calculated as the nutrient density divided by the CO2e for 100 g of food items. High NDCI index values were those with the highest nutrient density scores in relation to the GHGE.

The estimated GHGE for the average-dairy and non-dairy diets ranged from 4,340 to 4,826 g CO2e per day, with the highest GHGE in cheese-products and lowest GHGE in milk-products. For soy drink, the estimated values were 3,620 g CO2e per day. For the vegetarian and vegan diets, the estimated GHGE were 3,063 and 2,414 g CO2e per day, respectively.

However, when using the NDCI index (combining nutritional value and climate impact), the ranking of food items changes. Values for animal-based and plant-based products are more similar. This study shows that reducing consumption of food items with high or relative high GHGE is not necessarily the best approach to decreasing diet-related GHGE. If a product is replaced by food with lower energy density, the quantity needed to compensate for the caloric loss is greater than the quantity removed. This may result in a higher diet-related GHGE despite the lower GHGE per kg of the substituted product.

When optimizing a diet with regard to sustainability, it is crucial to account for the nutritional value and not solely focus on impact per kg product.

Source:

 
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29 Jan 2018
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3 min read
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by YINI Editorial team
Bone health

Cracking down on broken bones: fermented milks may reduce the risk of hip fracture

YINI Editorial team
The YINI team includes nutritionists, food engineers, registered dietitians and scientific writers.
Bone health fermentation Fermented milk fruits and vegetables hip fracture inflammation milk women
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Contrary to long-held beliefs, drinking large amounts of milk has recently been linked with increased risk of hip fracture. This study in older women of different combinations of milk or fermented milk and fruit and vegetable intakes shows that high consumers of fermented milk products (i.e. yogurt, soured milk) and fruit and vegetables have the lowest risk of hip fracture.   

In the past, milk consumption has been recommended to promote strong bones and reduce the risk of fractures. More recently, high milk consumption has been linked to an increased risk of hip fracture and raised markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, particularly in women. Oxidative stress is implicated in age-related muscle and bone loss, which increase the risk of hip fracture as we get older.

The authors investigated whether the antioxidants in fruit and vegetables could counteract the association between high milk consumption and increased risk of hip fracture. They also compared milk with fermented milk products.

In this population-based study, middle-aged and elderly Swedish women completed a food frequency questionnaire during 1987–1997. Over a median follow-up of 22 years, 5,827 of the 99,311 women suffered a hip fracture.

Drinking more milk is linked to higher hip fracture rates

Regardless of the women’s intake of fruit and vegetables, higher milk consumption was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture.

Hip fracture rates were highest in women who drank a lot of milk but ate few fruits and vegetables. Compared with the reference group who drank less than one glass of milk per day with a high intake of fruit and vegetables [≥5 servings/day]), those who drank at least three glasses of milk per day and ate less than two servings of fruits and vegetables per day had a 2.5-fold higher risk of hip fracture.

High intake of fruit and vegetables provides only modest protection from milk-linked hip fracture

Compared with the reference group, a high intake of milk (≥3 glasses/day) plus a high intake of fruit and vegetables (≥5 servings/day) was still linked with a 2.1-fold higher risk of hip fracture.

Fermented milk products are linked to lower hip fracture rates

Fermented milk products showed a very different pattern of association with hip fracture. Low intake of yogurt and soured milk was associated with high rates of hip fracture.

Hip fracture rates were lowest among women with a high intake of fermented milk products in combination with a high intake of fruit and vegetables. Compared with women who consumed little fermented milk and fruit and vegetables, high consumers (≥2 servings/day of fermented milk and ≥5 servings/day of fruit and vegetables) had a 19% lower rate of hip fracture.

Fermented milk products may induce less oxidative stress and inflammation than milk

The findings may be due to possible probiotic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, effects on the gut microbiota, and the lower content of lactose and galactose in fermented milk products compared with milk. The pro-oxidant properties of milk may be induced by the galactose component of lactose.

Find out more: read the original article.

Source: Michaëlsson K, Wolk A, Lemming EW et al. Intake of milk or fermented milk combined with fruit and vegetable consumption in relation to hip fracture rates: a cohort study of Swedish women. J Bone Miner Res. 2017 Oct 30. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3324.

YINI Editorial team
The YINI team includes nutritionists, food engineers, registered dietitians and scientific writers.
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24 Jan 2018
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3 min read
Nutri-dense food

Yogurt brings interesting nutritional contribution at different life stages

children dairy protein elderly life stage obesity
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Yogurt is known as a nutrient dense food within the dairy food group. Based on this data, several studies analyzed the nutritional contribution of yogurt among different population.

At different life stages

A British study, based on national nutrition survey data in the UK, analyzed the yogurt consumption and its contribution to nutrient intakes at different life stages. The study showed a small contribution to nutrient intakes in young children (for vitamin B12 riboflavin, calcium, iodine and phosphorus).

As children aged, the contribution of yogurt to micronutrient intake decreased, reflecting the increasing amounts and variety of foods in the diet, but also snacking behaviors.

As adolescents go through the final stages of the growing process, yogurt has a place for its contribution in several key vitamins and minerals.

During adulthood, as intake was higher among women, yogurt makes a greater contribution to their micronutrient intakes compared with men, providing more than 5% of the reference nutrient intakes for phosphorus, iodine, calcium, vitamin B12 and riboflavin.

Regarding the elderly, another study in the Netherlands showed that a daily consumption of protein-enriched bread and drinking yogurt resulted in higher protein intake.

For older adults, sufficient protein intake is crucial to maintain muscle mass and many data show an insufficient intake of proteins in hospitalized older adults. A single blind randomized controlled trial examined the impact of protein-enriched bread and drinking yogurt on protein intake. The results showed a raise of the mean protein intake with protein-enriched yogurt or bread, with 36% of the intervention group reaching the daily minimum recommendations (whereas, in the control group, only 8% met the requirements).

Among obese and non-obese individuals

Regarding specific populations, a study on 564 Canadians (160 obese and 404 non-obese individuals) evaluate the interest of yogurt in the dietary pattern. Results showed that daily yogurt consumption drives a prudent dietary pattern and is inversely associated to a Western dietary pattern, characterized by high intakes of red meat, sugary desserts and drinks, high-fat foods, and refined grains.

Moreover, the contribution of yogurt to daily energy intake was more pronounced in non-obese individuals (% of total energy, 2.92 % vs. 3.54 % respectively), who consumed more yogurt than obese individuals.

Future longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these findings, especially in obese populations.

Source:

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22 Jan 2018
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3 min read
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by YINI Editorial team
Other studies

Dairy products may help protect against chronic diseases through their antioxidant potential

YINI Editorial team
The YINI team includes nutritionists, food engineers, registered dietitians and scientific writers.
antioxidant chronic diseases CLA dairy probiotic yogurt
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Table of contents
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It’s vital for the foods we eat to combat oxidative stress as this is involved in the onset of most age- and diet-related chronic diseases. Dairy products contain a variety of compounds with antioxidant activity. Fermented dairy products, and particularly those containing probiotics, appear to have greater antioxidant potential than milk.    

Dairy products contain several antioxidants, including proteins, peptides, antioxidant enzymes, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and vitamins A, C, D3 and E*. The antioxidant potential of different types of dairy foods (milk, yogurt, fermented milk and cheese) has been studied extensively in vitro, but there have been very few in vivo animal and human studies. The authors of this article have examined the literature and reviewed the available evidence.

Dairy products are a valuable source of antioxidants

Overall, on a fresh-weight basis, the antioxidant potential of dairy products is similar to that of grain-based foods, fruit and vegetable juices, and some solid fruits and vegetables.

The antioxidant activity of dairy products is largely due to proteins, especially casein. The antioxidant potential of milk increases during in vitro digestion by up to 2.5 times due to the release of antioxidant peptides. Thermal treatments such as ultra-high temperature (UHT) processing has no clear effect on the antioxidant potential of milk.

Antioxidant activity of milk depends on animal source and fat content

The animal source is key to antioxidant content, with goat’s milk containing more antioxidants than cow’s milk.

Whole milk has higher antioxidant potential than reduced-fat milk because it contains more fat-soluble antioxidants such as CLA. Milk from organic farms has a higher CLA content than conventional milk due to the higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in cows’ diets on organic farms.

Yogurt and cheese have higher antioxidant potential than milk

Changes during the fermentation process appear to improve antioxidant potential. Hence yogurt has higher antioxidant potential than milk because lactic acid bacteria in yogurt generate antioxidant peptides. Probiotic yogurts contain even more antioxidants than conventional yogurt because probiotics increase protein breakdown and production of antioxidant peptides. A synergistic effect is seen when probiotic strains are combined in a yogurt, resulting in a greater antioxidant activity than a yogurt containing a single strain.

Cheese has higher antioxidant potential than other dairy products probably because of its higher protein content and the fermentation process: during ripening of cheese, breakdown of proteins to antioxidant peptides and microbial activity appear to increase the antioxidant content further.

Antioxidants in dairy products may protect against disease

A few studies in humans, together with in vitro and animal studies, suggest that dairy products may reduce oxidative stress and protect against some chronic diseases such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The findings of human studies have varied, and more studies are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about potential benefits of dairy products in reducing oxidative stress and protecting against disease. In particular, it will be important to study dairy consumption in relation to the complex diet we eat.

* Other antioxidants contained in dairy products include coenzyme Q10, lactoferrin, carotenoids, and some minerals and trace elements.

Find out more: read the original article.

References
  1. (1) Fardet A, Rock E. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant potential of milks, yoghurts, fermented milks and cheeses: a narrative review of evidence. Nutr Res Rev; 2017; 2:1-19
YINI Editorial team
The YINI team includes nutritionists, food engineers, registered dietitians and scientific writers.
Related Posts
Milk matrix matters: why dairy deserves a place in plant-based diets From plate to planet: the challenge of building sustainable diets Gut health: the prebiotic power of lactose Focus on the bioactive peptides in dairy and yogurt
See More
Our Resources
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Experts Interviews
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International conferences