A yoghurt a day keeps the asthma and arthritis away: Study

If you’re a fan of tucking into a delicious yoghurt for morning tea or a sweet treat during the day, you could be doing wonders for your health.

A new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison and published in the latest edition of The Journal of Nutrition has found daily consumption of yoghurt has the potential to ease the pain associated with asthma and arthritis. It found that eating just one low-fat pot of the dairy product a day can calm chronic inflammation.

Inflammation is linked to an array of serious health problems including arthritis and asthma, as well as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, just to name a few. The new findings could be a game-changer when it comes to treating these conditions.

For the research, some participants in the study were given an 8oz (226.7g) tub of low-fat yoghurt before a 900-calorie breakfast of sausages, hash browns and muffins. These participants had lower levels of inflammatory markers in their blood stream than those who didn’t eat a yoghurt before their meal.

The results have found not only that low-fat yoghurt can lessen inflammation, but that it could also be used as a safer alternative to aspirin, naproxen, hydrocortisone and other medications used to treat the condition. While these drugs can help, they come with their own side effects and often can’t be used as long-term treatments. Yoghurt on the other hand could prove useful, particularly because people eat it regularly and it’s safer than many drugs on the market. It is believed yoghurt boosts good bacteria in the intestines which stops inflammatory molecules from entering the blood stream and causing pain.

For the research, the team also analysed 120 women in another test. Half were obese, while the rest were a normal weight. Some women were given a 12oz tub of low-fat yoghurt to eat each day, while the rest consumed a non-dairy pudding for nine weeks.

Blood samples were then taken at various points during the study to analyse biomarkers researchers set up to test the effectiveness of yoghurt consumption. Researchers discovered women eating yoghurt saw vast improvements in a marker associated with an important inflammation-activating protein. This led researchers to conclude that eating yoghurt can have anti-inflammatory results.

While the results are promising, researchers haven’t yet been able to identify which compounds in yoghurt actually shift the biomarkers and how they act in the body. Through more testing, researchers are hoping to specifically identify the components and see them implemented in more foods to reduce inflammation through diets.

At present, yoghurt is known to make bones stronger and assist with the digestive process. Other studies have found yoghurt consumption can reduce the risk of diabetes. It should be noted yoghurts containing added fats and sugars aren’t necessarily healthy, while other added flavours and ingredients could cause further problems.

Do you eat yoghurt daily? Do you think yoghurt could help improve your health?