Adding even a small amount of this food to your diet can make a big difference to your blood pressure.
People with elevated high blood pressure might see a big improvement by having yoghurt every day for breakfast or even as a snack.
A research team tested if yoghurt consumption has any effect on blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease.
They found that yoghurt reduced blood pressure by seven points in people with hypertension.
Over one billion people have high blood pressure that puts them at higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including heart disease are the leading cause of death globally.
The death rate is different between countries, for instance, every 36 seconds someone dies from CVD in the United States while it is every 12 minutes in Australia.
Scientist are examining every possible way to help reduce CVD risk and one important area is diet, which covers types of foods and drinks and calorie intake.
Dr Alexandra Wade, the study’s first author, said:
“High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, so it’s important that we continue to find ways to reduce and regulate it.
Dairy foods, especially yoghurt, may be capable of reducing blood pressure.
This is because dairy foods contain a range of micronutrients, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which are involved in the regulation of blood pressure.
Yoghurt is especially interesting because it also contains bacteria that promote the release of proteins which lowers blood pressure.
This study showed for people with elevated blood pressure, even small amounts of yoghurt were associated with lower blood pressure.
And for those who consumed yoghurt regularly, the results were even stronger, with blood pressure readings nearly seven points lower than those who did not consume yoghurt.”
In this study a normal blood pressure was defined as 120/80 mmHg while elevated blood pressure was 140/90 mmHg or over.
Previous studies showed that people who ate yoghurt each day doubled their body fat loss.
People with higher belly fat are more likely to develop heart disease.
The study was published in International Dairy Journal (Wade et al., 2021).
