The Yogurt in Nutrition Initiative’s presentations on September 16 at the International Union of Nutritional Science’s 20th International Congress of Nutrition (Granada, Spain) featured information from experts who spoke about the main science related to yogurt and identified gaps that need to be addressed within the scientific community, including the influence on “nutrition economy”.
Not only does yogurt consumption hold promise for individual health, it may also carry positive impacts for the cost of healthcare,” said Dr. David McCarron, MD, Department of Nutrition, University of California-Davis. A 2004 analysis from our program calculated the potential healthcare savings in the U.S for common medical conditions known to be responsive to increased dairy product consumption. Using conservative estimates, we projected first year savings of approximately $26 billion and 5-year cumulative savings in excess of $200 billion.
This presentation updates that 2004 analysis of healthcare savings and defines the central role of yogurt and related products consumption in achieving an optimal dietary pattern known to impact common chronic diseases. Using a standard PubMed search process recent reports that assessed dairy and yogurt consumption as an essential component of diet quality were identified. Estimated one-year and five-year healthcare savings were calculated employing conservative assumptions as to the percentage of individuals actually achieving adequate yogurt consumption as an essential component of a high quality diet.
Based on current estimates of U.S. healthcare costs and conservative estimates of the impact on specific conditions, this current analysis projects that in the U.S., $83 billion would be saved in the first year and up to $910 billion over five years. Worldwide first year healthcare savings are estimated at $95 billion. The potential healthcare savings from consuming an optimal diet that is adequate in yogurt and dairy are profound for the U.S. as well as worldwide and have increased substantially in the past decade.
Read more on this event.
Sources:
McCarron DA, Heaney RP. Estimated healthcare savings associated with adequate dairy food intake. Am J Hypertens 2004;17:88-97.
Mozaffarian D, Hao T, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB. Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men. N Engl J Med 2011;364:2392-2404.
Mitrou PN, Kipnis V, Thiébaut AC, Reedy J, Subar AF, Wirfält E, Flood A, Mouw T, Hollenbeck AR, Leitzmann MF, Schatzkin A. Mediterranean dietary pattern and prediction of all-cause mortality in a US population: results from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Arch Intern Med 2007;167:2461-2468.
McNaughton SA, Bates CJ, Mishra GD. Diet quality is associated with all-cause mortality in adults aged 65 years and older. J Nutr 2012;142:320-325. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.148692.
Kant AK, Leitzmann MF, Park Y, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A. Patterns of recommended dietary behaviors predict subsequent risk of mortality in a large cohort of men and women in the United States. J Nutr 2009;139:1374-1380.
Nicklas TA, Qu H, Hughes SO, He M, Wagner SE, Foushee HR, Shewchuk RM. Self-perceived lactose intolerance results in lower intakes of calcium and dairy foods is associated with hypertension and diabetes in adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;94:191-198.
Wang H, Livingston KA, Fox CS, Meigs JB, Jacques PF. Yogurt consumption is associated with better diet quality and metabolic profile in American men and women. Nutr Res 2013;33:18-26.
Murray CJL, Lopez AD. Measuring the global burden of disease. N Engl J Med 2013; 369: 448-457.
