17 April 2024 , 19:00
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Adding this tasty snack to your diet could help ward off diabetes.
We all know that eating healthy foods, alongside regular exercise, is the key to keeping our bodies in tip-top shape. But with so many options on supermarket shelves, it can be difficult to know exactly what foods are good for our insides, and which ones we should be avoiding. According to the experts, however, there's one "superfood" we should all be eating more of if we want to regulate our blood pressure - yoghurt.
Research has shown that natural yoghurt in particular can help blood pressure and blood sugar control, and it's crammed with "good" bacteria that can help keep your gut healthy. What's more, the calcium, magnesium, and fatty acids found in natural yoghurt are thought to help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Natural yoghurt was included in a list of nine foods you should eat every day to stay healthy that was reported by The Times, and dieticians have been touting the benefits of this "superfood" for years. In 2022, dietician Novella Lui told Eating Well that natural yoghurt is "one of the most nutritious whole foods" as it's packed with vitamins and minerals that are "essential" to the body.
Novella explained that yoghurt is an "excellent source" of calcium, which not only keeps your bones and teeth strong, but also supports the "proper release of hormones", and helps with blood clotting and nerve transmission. Natural yoghurt also "supports immunity" with zinc, and "keeps blood pressure in check" thanks to potassium.
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According to Gloucestershire Live, scientists from Harvard reported a decade ago that a single 28g serving of yoghurt a day was associated with an 18 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while another study from the US and Australia showed a daily serving of natural yoghurt could lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. The scientists behind the trial also suggested that bacteria in yoghurt could help to promote the release of proteins that lower blood pressure.
Professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London Tim Spector - who also co-founded the health app Zoe - has previously spoken about the benefits of fermented foods like yoghurt. He said: "In particular, they seem to support your immune system, which is so vital to fighting allergies, infections, cancer and ageing, thanks to their interaction with your resident gut bacteria."
You can pick up natural yoghurt for as little as 60p in Asda for a 150g tub, while 500g tubs in both Sainsbury's and Tesco cost just 90p. If you want natural yoghurt delivered directly to your door, shopping at Morrisons via Amazon will allow you to pick up a 500g tub for £1.15.