Can yogurt reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes?

If it's real yogurt, it may have this benefit. Unfortunately most of the mass produced "yogurt" on supermarket shelves is laden with sugar and worse. Yogurt is so easy to make. Make your own and you know what's gone into it.

Danone submitted information from studies that observed participants over time and found a link between eating yogurt and lower markers of diabetes. 

Unfortunately most of the studies used for these kind of claims fail at controlling properly for socio-economic status, which would then remain a very important factor that could explain the differences. If for example eating yogurt usually comes with many other actions (taking much more care of the diet, exercising more, etc.) then the whole thing (not just the yogurt) would be what is preventing diabetes.

I am neither a dietist, nor a medical doctor, or anything related, but I must admit that I fail to see that yogurt in itself would reduce the risk of diabetes 2. I can see how you can reduce the risk of diabetes 2 if you eat yogurt instead of something that increases the risk of diabetes 2, for instance large amounts of fat or carbs. Does the few studies done look at people just adding yogurt to their diet, or do they eat yogurt instead of something? Just adding yogurt would increase the calorie intake which usually increases the risk of diabetes 2.

However, as I said, I am not very knowledgeable about diabetes 2.

CoPilot says "However, it’s important to note that yogurt is unlikely to prevent diabetes on its own. To lower diabetes risk, experts suggest consuming a dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting consumption of products linked to increased diabetes risk, including sugary beverages and processed meats2. Yogurt, they noted, is “not a magic bullet”

I have to watch my blood sugar levels and eat yogurt daily at breakfast. We used to make our own. I don't believe it has much of an effect on lowering blood sugar levels. Plain yogurt or ones with fruits.

Been eating yogurt literally every single day since I was a baby, it’s the one thing I can’t do without, it definitely kept me healthy without a doubt.

Unfortunately most of the studies used for these kind of claims fail at controlling properly for socio-economic status, which would then remain a very important factor that could explain the differences.

Entirely false and is in fact the opposite.

bass4funk

Been eating yogurt literally every single day since I was a baby, it’s the one thing I can’t do without, it definitely kept me healthy without a doubt.

The question is blood sugar. Later you can develop problems.

If it's real yogurt, it may have this benefit. Unfortunately most of the mass produced "yogurt" on supermarket shelves is laden with sugar and worse. Yogurt is so easy to make. Make your own and you know what's gone into it.

Yeah, I noticed in the US supermarkets, most of the yogurts have lots of sugar; and the low-fat ones advertised as "healthy" contain some pretty nasty stuff.

I agree yogurt is very easy to make, and you don't even need a yogurt maker. I've been making it for years simply using a big glass jar in a Styrofoam box filled with warm water.

"Approximately 13.5% of the Japanese population now has either type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. This high prevalence of type 2 diabetes is associated with a significant economic burden, with diabetes accounting for up to 6% of the total healthcare budget."

The US has three times as many diabetics.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/281082/countries-with-highest-number-of-diabetics/#:~:text=China%20is%20the%20country%20with,174%20million%20people%20with%20diabetes.

Raw Beer,

I agree yogurt is very easy to make, and you don't even need a yogurt maker. I've been making it for years simply using a big glass jar in a Styrofoam box filled with warm water.

In Okinawa, you don't even need the Styrofoam box and warm water. In Hokkaido, I used to make it on the radiator. You definitely don't need a yogurt maker. For REALLY delicious yogurt, boil the milk to reduce it by about 50%, then cool it down to body temperature and add yogurt. The creamiest yogurt you've ever tasted!

For REALLY delicious yogurt, boil the milk to reduce it by about 50%, then cool it down to body temperature and add yogurt. The creamiest yogurt you've ever tasted!

Oh, sounds good, I certainly will give it a try. Thanks!

Yogurt is one of those things that I don't care whether it's good for me or not. I like it and eat it a lot. It's good to find out it's good for me. But there are foods I eat whether good for me or not. I bet there are a lot of people who do that.

One of my favorite foods since childhood so I hope the studies are correct. Either way, I'll keep enjoying all varieties.

I am neither a dietist, nor a medical doctor, or anything related, but I must admit that I fail to see that yogurt in itself would reduce the risk of diabetes 2.

It's full of probiotics, which are good for the body in general. It's not unreasonable to think that these may also help the body stay responsive to insulin, and therefore avoid type 2 diabetes. I would be interested in more investigations into this.

Just adding yogurt would increase the calorie intake which usually increases the risk of diabetes 2.

I don't believe the intake in calories from unsweeted yogurt would contribute to diabetes unless you are counting those calories on top of an otherwise unhealthy diet.

I only eat unsweetened greek yogurt myself, with only two ingredients (milk, yogurt cultures). Some people in this thread have mentioned unsweetened yogurt having other nasty stuff - I'm curious what other stuff they are talking about.

The rate of diabetes in the UK has doubled in the last 15 years!

Entirely false and is in fact the opposite.

Which professional opinion are you using to say the comment is false? it is well described how studies related to diet fail frequently to control for socioeconomic factors, if you personally are not involved in the field enough to be aware of this that does not make it false, it just mean you have not read enough.