People often say the same things about heart health: getting more exercise, giving up smoking, and eating more veggies. Okay, but what about yogurt?
Yes, that sour and sweet snack that you could eat for breakfast or as a dessert. Could eating yogurt, which seems like a simple thing, really help keep your heart healthy?
A new study really looked into this question, and the results might surprise you!
The Heart of the Matter: What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Heart disease (CVD) is something we should talk about before we get into the yogurt discussion. Heart problems like heart attacks, strokes, and other heart-related problems are all part of CVD.
It’s important because it’s one of the main reasons people die around the world. Over the years, more and more people have been getting CVD, which makes it a major public health issue.
The good news? A lot of cases of CVD can be avoided by living a healthy life. That’s where food comes in handy.
We’ve all heard that whole grains, fruits, and veggies are good for your heart. But what about yogurt and other dairy products?
Yogurt: A Superfood for Your Heart?
People have been eating yogurt for a very long time. It is made by letting milk ferment with bacteria, which gives it its unique sour taste and smooth texture.
Yogurt tastes good, but it’s also full of good things for you, like calcium, vitamin D, and probiotics, which are good bugs for your gut health.
Some tests have shown that yogurt may be good for more than just digestion. Some of the things that have been linked to it are lower blood pressure, better cholesterol levels, and even better weight control.
It’s not a big stretch to think that yogurt might help protect your heart since fat, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are all things that put you at risk for CVD.
But there is a catch: not every study agrees. Some studies have shown that there isn’t a strong link between eating yogurt and heart health.
What is the real story?
The Big Study: What Did Researchers Find?
To figure this out, researchers did a meta-analysis, which is a fancy word for putting together the results of several studies to make things simpler.
They looked at nine different studies with more than 291 000 people! That’s a lot of people who eat yogurt.
Here is the study link: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/3/315
Here’s what they found:
- In general, there wasn’t a strong link between yogurt and heart disease risk. That there wasn’t a big difference in the risk of CVD between people who ate the most and those who ate the least yogurt. The relative risk, which is a way for studies to compare risks, was 1.01. This means that there wasn’t much of a change.
- But wait, there’s more! Something interesting was found in people who ate 200 grams or more of yogurt every day, which is about one small cup. Those who ate more yogurt had a higher chance of CVD than those who ate less yogurt. The risk was 0.92, which is 8% less than it was before. Not a big drop, but still interesting!
- Dose is important. The study also found a pattern that showed eating more yogurt might lower your risk of heart disease. This trend wasn’t strong enough to be statistically significant, though, so it might have just been a coincidence.
What Does This Mean for You?
Should you eat yogurt every day to keep your heart healthy? It’s not as simple as yes or no. From this study, we can learn the following:
- Some people think that eating a lot of yogurt is good for heart. The study found that people who ate at least 200 grams of sugar every day (about a small cup) had a lower chance of CVD. If you like yogurt already, this is good news: you can enjoy your daily serving without feeling bad about it!
- But do not just count on yogurt. Yogurt might be good for you in some ways, but it’s not a miracle cure for heart disease. The best ways to protect your heart are still to eat well, exercise regularly, and make other healthy choices in your daily life.
- Not every yogurt is the same. A lot of sugar is added to some yogurts, which isn’t good for your health. Choose plain, unsweetened yogurt if you’re going to eat it. For sweetness, add your own fruit or a drop of honey.
The Bottom Line: Yogurt and Your Heart
It’s still not clear what the link is between yogurt and heart health. There isn’t enough evidence to say for sure that eating 200 grams or more of yogurt every day will lower your risk of heart disease, but this study found that it might.
There needs to be more study, especially with different types of yogurt and different groups of people.
Right now, if you like yogurt, it won’t hurt to eat some of it as part of a healthy diet. It tastes good, gives you good nutrients, and may even make your heart feel better.
But keep in mind that one food won’t make or break your health; it’s all about the big picture.
You can eat that yogurt spread, but don’t forget to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and work out regularly. Your heart will be grateful!