Yogurt may help prevent high blood pressure
Women who ate five or more servings of yogurt per week had a lower risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who rarely ate yogurt, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology/Lifestyle 2016 Scientific Sessions.
“No one food is a magic bullet but adding yogurt to an otherwise healthy diet seems to help reduce the long-term risk of high blood pressure in women,” said Justin Buendia, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. candidate at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts.
“I believe that this is the largest study of its kind to date to evaluate the specific effects of yogurt on blood pressure,” he said.
Women in the study who ate five or more servings of yogurt per week (compared with those consuming one serving per month) had about a 20 percent reduction in the risk of developing high blood pressure, which was statistically significant.
Men in this study had much lower intakes of yogurt than women and, perhaps as a result, the effects of regular yogurt consumption were weaker.
The benefit of eating five or more servings of yogurt on the risk of high blood pressure was strongest among those who ate more fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans, other low-fat dairy and whole grains.
Additionally, researchers noted that several servings of milk and cheese each day also had beneficial effects on blood pressure “although the effects of yogurt seemed stronger than other forms of dairy,” Buendia said.
“Our study shows that daily intake of dairy products, particularly yogurt, lowers the risk for developing high blood pressure, which is a key risk factor for the development of heart disease and stroke,” he said.
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