Those with high blood pressure are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Anindra Siqueira tells you about a new study which says that eating yoghurt could lower this risk significantly. That’s all the more reason to include an extra helping or two of yoghurt in your meals!
High blood pressure affects a large number of people across the globe. In fact, it is estimated that approximately one billion people suffer from hypertension. High blood pressure acts as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is even linked to other conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.
Now, a new large-scale study, published by Oxford University Press in the American Journal of Hypertension, suggests that eating more yoghurt could lower cardiovascular disease risk among those who have hypertension. In the past, small studies conducted on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) have shown that dairy — especially fermented dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese — might have some connection with reduced risk of heart disease.
The new study was a large-scale review and it took into account data from the Nurses’ Health Study, dating back to 1980, which included over 55,000 women, as well as the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which included 18,000 men. In the Nurses’ Health Study, the researchers noted a 30% reduction in risk of myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack) in women who ate yoghurt. Among the men, there was a 19% reduction in risk.
In both groups under the review, those who ate more than two servings of yoghurt a week had an approximately 20% lower risk of major coronary heart disease or stroke during the follow-up period. A higher intake of yoghurt is important, but it needs to be combined with an overall heart-healthy diet, the researchers found.