Does Eating Yogurt Reduce Your Diabetes Risk?

Fat-free or full-fat, flavored or plain, probiotic or natural: yogurt is already covered in labels. But you might soon see a new claim on your container: this month, the Food and Drug Administration announced it will allow yogurt makers to say their products can prevent type 2 diabetes.

That’s what the FDA said it has found “limited scientific evidence” that consuming yogurt can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The agency’s decision came in response to a petition filed on behalf of Danone North America, a company that makes yogurt sold under brands including Activia, Dannon and Oikos.

Yogurt can be a nutrient-dense food and part of a healthy diet, and there is some evidence that people who eat it regularly have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, said Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

But consumers may not realize that “limited evidence” means that “the evidence is not very strong,” says Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which filed a report. public comment opposes the petition. This is what the science says.

What is the evidence on the risk of yogurt and type 2 diabetes?

The FDA cited 28 studies in its review of the evidence on yogurt and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Overall, the evidence is somewhat limited and inconsistent, Dr. Hu said: Some studies found that people who consumed more yogurt were less likely to had to develop diabetes, but others did not.

Dr. Hu and his colleagues conducted several of the largest studies cited by the FDA Paper from 2014For example, they looked at three large groups of adults in the United States, almost 200,000 people in total. They found that those who consumed two servings or more of yogurt per week had a 12 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who rarely ate yogurt.

But one Study from 2019 of 7,633 women in Australia, as well as several others cited in the FDA’s study, found no significant link between eating yogurt and preventing type 2 diabetes.

All of the studies cited by the FDA were observational, meaning researchers first asked participants how much yogurt they consumed and then tracked whether they developed diabetes over time. Such studies cannot determine whether yogurt directly prevents type 2 diabetes, because people who eat yogurt may also have other healthy habits that could protect them from the disease, Ms. Liebman said. Researchers try to take these other factors into account using statistical methods, said Dr. Hu, but he agreed that they could play a role in the lower risk seen in yogurt eaters.

According to the FDA, the label should specify that “eating yogurt regularly, at least 2 cups (3 servings) per week, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.” That weekly amount was the minimum needed to see a benefit in two studies the agency reviewed.

Despite the uncertainties, it is likely that consuming yogurt could contribute to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, said Dr. Hu. It is rich in protein, minerals and vitamins, and unlike most other dairy products, he added, yogurt usually contains a significant amount of live bacteria that reduce inflammation and insulin resistance.

The new health claim could be a useful reminder to people that yogurt can be a healthy choice, said Dr. Meera Shah, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

But, she added, eating three servings of yogurt a week probably won’t on its own prevent type 2 diabetes. “It’s much more than that,” she added.

What Other Foods Can Reduce Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes?

Maintaining a healthy weight and following an overall balanced diet are both important for preventing type 2 diabetes, said Dr. Hu.

There is hard evidence that following the Mediterranean diet can prevent type 2 diabetes. You can adjust the diet to your own preferences, said Dr. Shah, by building your meals around the key components: whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and healthy sources of fats like olive oil and fish.

Drinking coffee has also been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetesadded Dr. Hu to it.

Just as important, he said, is limiting consumption of foods that can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, including sugary drinks, processed meats and ultra-processed foods.

Several servings of yogurt per week — especially yogurt with no added sugar, perhaps sweetened with fresh fruit or a drizzle of honey — can certainly be part of an overall healthy diet, said Dr. Hu.

But, he added, “it’s not a panacea.”