Eating a Cup of Yogurt a Day Could Cut Lung Cancer Risk by 20%, Says Study

A new study finds that eating a cup of yogurt daily may help reduce the risk of developing lung cancer. A team of researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennesse found out that people who consumed yogurt daily were able to lower their risk of lung cancer by 20 percent compared to those who did not eat yogurt daily.

The researchers also found out that people who included a cup of yogurt daily along with a high fiber diet were able to lower their chances of lung cancer by over 30 percent. The study was published in JAMA Oncology.

Several studies have shown some probiotics, live bacteria found in yogurt, have anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties. During the study, the researchers found out eating dairy products should not be discouraged and there is a need to re-examine potential benefits of dairy products.

Past evidence has suggested there are a number of nutrients that are found in dairy products which include calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamins K1 and K2 and probiotics that add to a healthy diet. Furthermore, eating products like cheese and yogurt was linked to a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes.

For the study, researchers looked at 10 cohort studies from the US, Europe and Asia involving more than 1.44 million people. They analysed their intakes of dietary fibre and yogurt and then tracked how many of them developed lung cancer.

According to the results, those ate around one tub of yogurt a day lowered their risk of lung cancer by 19 percent. Furthermore, eating a high fibre diet that included fruits, vegetables and bread (but not yogurt) reduced risk of lung cancer by 15 percent.

The study further found that when participants has both a high fiber diet and ate a daily serving of yogurt, the risk of lung cancer was lowered by 33 percent.

According to researchers, the benefits come from prebiotics found in a high fibre diet and probiotics found in yogurt. Prebiotics are the kind of fibre that is indigestible by the human body and are food for the probiotics, which are bacteria and yeasts. Together, they promote digestive health, gastrointestinal health and a healthy immune system.

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