The recent decision by the US authorities to allow yogurt manufacturers to state on product labels that this milk product can prevent type 2 diabetes has sparked various opinions in the media. Although these labels state that the scientific evidence is “limited” regarding daily consumption, the debate is open.
To date, there has not been a large enough study to scientifically support the direct relationship between daily consumption of a specific dairy product, such as yogurt, and a reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The key may lie in two bacteria. As the Harvard School of Public Health suggests, although research has been conducted on the properties of yogurt in relation to various conditions, it is not clear what the mechanism might explain its impact on diabetes. The hypothesis proposed by the prestigious university refers to its live bacteria, responsible for reducing inflammation and improving the action of insulin in the body.
We know the nutrients of yogurt, especially its high protein and calcium content. However, science has also focused on the two bacteria that act in its fermentation process, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Both are present in an amount between 100 million and 10 billion in each package of yogurt.
Is there any real scientific backing?
Body weight regulation or protection against heart disease are two of the areas in which most scientific studies have been conducted with humans regarding the action of these bacteria present in yogurt.
Specifically, there are two studies that have linked daily consumption of this specific dairy product to: weight gain in men and women with age; arterial disease in older women and risk of diabetes in postmenopausal women. In the analyzed groups, the lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes was established at not too high percentages, between 14 and 18%, as Harvard University recalls.
Epidemiologist Frank Hu recently wrote in The New York Times that although these live bacteria can reduce insulin resistance, dairy itself does not prevent the disease, but should be thought of as an additional factor alongside a heart-healthy diet that allows for the maintenance of a appropriate body weights, notes 20minutos.es.
