Dietary Consumption of Yogurt May Prevent Atherosclerosis

by | Mar 15, 2018 | 2011, Cardiovascular Health

Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. Twelve months of yogurt consumption was associated with a significant reduction in carotid artery plague formation in an observational study of 1,080 participating older Australian women.

Carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) is a measure of the presence and extent of atherosclerosis (thickening of the artery wall) in the carotid arteries, the large blood vessels on either side of the neck which supply the brain, neck, and face with oxygenated blood. Researchers have theorized CCA-IMT measurements to be predictive of cardiovascular disease, with increased thickness showing an association with stroke and coronary events such as myocardial infarction 1. In one epidemiological study, researchers found that even a 0.03-mm increase in CCA-IMT resulted in a clinically significant increased relative risk of an adverse coronary effect 2. Despite the association between dairy foods and increased saturated fat, for several years, studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of dairy consumption on cardiovascular health 3. Randomized trials, for example, point to reductions in arterial stiffness associated with regular consumption of fermented milk products 4, and evidence from prospective studies suggest that dietary intake of yogurt may lower risk of vascular disease and increase levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, “good cholesterol”) 5,6. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 7, Australian researchers sought to examine the relationship between dairy intake from various food sources (milk, cheese, yogurt) and CCA-IMT in a population of older women.

A total of 1,080 ambulatory Western Australian women (aged 70 years or older) were enrolled in a prospective observational cohort-based trial. At baseline, they completed a validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire used to assess dietary intake of milk, cheese, and yogurt (frequency of consumption was represented as servings per day) over the preceding 12 months. Cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as serum lipids and blood pressure, were also measured at baseline. Using a carotid ultrasound machine, common CCA-IMT and focal carotid plaques were measured three years after baseline assessment.

While total consumption of milk and cheese was not associated with CCA-IMT, dietary intake of yogurt showed a negative association with CCA-IMT (adjusted β = -0.075, p = 0.015). Total dairy intake was significantly associated with HDL-C (adjusted β = 0.069, p = 0.032). Participants who consumed 100 g or greater of yogurt daily (moderate and high yogurt intake) demonstrated significantly lower CCA-IMT, in comparison to those who consumed less than 100 g of yogurt daily (low yogurt intake) (adjusted mean difference = -0.023 mm, p = 0.003). No significant differences were detected between yogurt consumption groups regarding the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques.

Conclusive evidence from the study indicates that the beneficial effects of increased dairy consumption for cardiovascular health may be exclusive to intake of yogurt, but not milk or cheese. Independent of other risk factors, yogurt was associated with reduced CCA-IMT and may, therefore, play a role in preventing stroke and atherosclerosis. However, because of the observational nature of the study, the causal relation between yogurt consumption and CCA-IMT still needs to be established by future research studies.

Source: Ivey KL, Lewis JR, Hodgson JM, et al. Association between yogurt, milk, and cheese consumption and common carotid artery intima-media thickness and cardiovascular disease risk factors in elderly women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2011; 94: 234-239. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.111.014159.

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Posted March 15, 2018.

Angeline A. De Leon, MA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she studied clinical neuroscience within an integrative health program. Her specialized area of research involves the complementary use of neuroimaging and neuropsychology-based methodologies to examine how lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and meditation, can influence brain plasticity and enhance overall connectivity.

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