Although dairy products are recommended for a well-balanced diet, a new study has proved that yogurt has nothing to do with health improvement. It has been stated that eating yogurt daily has many benefit, but this was never proved. In fact, not many studies have examined the link between this product and the HRQL (health-related quality of life).
A new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has analyzed this relation and discovered that yogurt actually does not bring any benefits. The research was conducted on 4.445 adults. The investigators at the Autonomous University of Madrid observed the eating habits three years and a half and noted in which way yogurt affected their health.
The findings of the study showed that the yogurt intake played no role in the case of participants who were not diagnosed with any illness, who followed a Mediterranean diet and who had never smoked. So no differences were observed even in the case of people who were not exposed to factors which could affect this link.
Esther López-García, the lead author of the study declared that in comparison with people who did not eat yogurt those who consumed dairy products did not exhibit any noticeable physical improvement. Although some slight mental improvements were observed, this was not statistically significant.
In Spain, like in many other countries, people are highly encouraged to consume dairy products such as yogurt. According to López-García this is due to the fact that most studies have focused on the effects of a balanced diet as a whole. In this study the researchers studied the independent relation between the global health indicators and each type of product.
Yogurt is recommended in a balanced diet because it is a product rich in calcium. Therefore it is good for your bones and it can help fighting osteomuscular illnesses. Yogurt has also been linked with a lower weight increase, lower rate of cardiovascular diseases and lower blood pressure.
It should be considered that the researchers only took into account the yogurt intake at the beginning of the study. In the period afterwards the level of yogurt consumption might have changed. Another thing which should be considered is the fact that the study did not track the consumption of other products which could have had an impact on the results of the research.
However the results of this study can be used in order to verify what the dairy industry claims regarding the beneficial properties of yogurt. Any such claims must be reviewed by the US Department of Agriculture that must decide whether they should be used in commercials or not.
Image Source: Amy Myers MD
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