A new study from the Boston University School of Medicine suggests that higher yogurt intake is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk among men and women with high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Previous research has demonstrated the beneficial effects of eating dairy products on cardiovascular health. Yogurt may independently be related to cardiovascular disease risk. Higher dairy consumption has been associated with beneficial effects on hypertension, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.
For the current study, participants included over 55,000 women (ages 30-55) with high blood pressure from the Nurses' Health Study and 18,000 men (ages 40-75) who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
Higher intakes of yogurt were associated with a 30 percent reduction in risk of myocardial infarction among the Nurses' Health Study women and a 19 percent reduction in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study men.
In both groups, participants consuming more than two servings a week of yogurt had an approximately 20 percent lower risks of major coronary heart disease or stroke during the follow-up period.
Higher yogurt intake in combination with an overall heart-healthy diet was associated with greater reductions in cardiovascular disease risk among men and women with high blood pressure.
The results provide new evidence that yogurt may benefit heart health alone or as a consistent part of a diet rich in fibre-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Source: American Journal of Hypertension, February 15, 2018.
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