Pot of yoghurt a day could help keep diabetes away, new research shows

Regular consumption of yoghurt reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 28 per cent, scientists found.

Other low-fat fermented dairy foods, such as fromage frais and cottage cheese, also showed a health benefit, according to the study of more than 4,000 people.

Taken together, they reduced the chances of becoming diabetic by 24 per cent over an 11-year period.

“This research highlights that specific foods may have an important role in the prevention of Type 2 diabetes and are relevant for public health messages,” said lead scientist Dr Nita Forouhi, from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at Cambridge University.

“At a time when we have a lot of other evidence that consuming high amounts of certain foods, such as added sugars and sugary drinks, is bad for our health, it is very reassuring to have messages about other foods like yoghurt and low-fat fermented dairy products, that could be good for our health.”

The new research in Norfolk involved researchers compiling a detailed daily record of all the food and drink consumed in the course of a week by 4,255 participants, including 753 who developed Type 2 diabetes over 11 years.