If you browse any health magazine or check out wellness blogs, you might find many people recommending that you eat yogurt regularly. While this dairy product is controversial — due to bad industrial practices, not the food itself — it still makes for a nutritious and delicious treat that supports your digestive health. Recent studies also suggest that eating yogurt every day could help reduce your risk of hypertension.

A ‘highly cultured’ way to support heart health

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. A recent study published in the Journal of Hypertension analyzed the effects of yogurt consumption on high blood pressure. 

Scientists from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and Boston University conducted an experiment involving more than 180,000 men and women from two Nurses’ Health Study (NHS and NHS II) cohorts and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS). The researchers monitored the participants’ blood pressure for up to 30 years.

A higher intake of yogurt was associated with a 16 percent reduction in the risk of high blood pressure among the participants across all three cohort studies. The combination of high yogurt intake and higher adherence to the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was also linked to a 30 percent reduction in high blood pressure risk.

These findings suggest that regular consumption of yogurt can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.

More than just a heart-healthy snack

When it comes to diseases, prevention can go a long way. Yogurt can not only prevent hypertension, it can also help keep your heart healthy. Here is a list of the health benefits associated with yogurt consumption:

1. High in protein. Yogurt contains a surprising amount of protein — about 14 grams per eight ounces (equivalent to one small cup of yogurt). Getting enough protein can help support your metabolism and allow you to burn through more calories per day. This can help you lose weight much faster. Also, protein can increase your satiety, allowing you to stay full for extended periods throughout the day.
2. Contains probiotics. It’s important to note that not all yogurts contain probiotics. This is because many yogurts are pasteurized, a heating treatment that kills all the beneficial bacteria they contain. However, yogurts that contain live cultures have beneficial effects on your health, particularly on your digestive system. Yogurts that contain certain types of probiotics could also relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common disorder that affects the large intestine.
3. Protects against osteoporosis. Being a dairy product, it should come as no surprise that yogurt has bone-strengthening capabilities. This ability is thanks to its calcium content, which is equivalent to nearly 50 percent of the recommended daily intake of calcium. Consuming dairy products like yogurt can also help prevent osteoporosis because it helps preserve bone mass and strength.

Eating organic yogurt daily won’t cause any adverse effects, unless you are lactose intolerant or are sensitive to dairy products. Not only can eating a cup of yogurt a day help prevent hypertension, it can also provide plenty of other health benefits that are sure to keep your body in tip-top shape.

Sources:

Science.news

CDC.gov

Journals.LWW.com

Healthline.com

NutritionData.Self.com

TAndFOnline.com

Cambridge.org

Link.Springer.com