Hello Steemians. You are welcome to my blog for yet another episode of interesting research findings.

Like I had said over and over again; this page is dedicated to investigating and bringing to the fore those hidden health or medically important facts that are vital for our well-being, and which a lot of people seem not to know. This is in order to create awareness around matters of public health importance. It would therefore be of public benefit if you would assist this campaign by way of resteeming our public health based publications with the goal of making the world a better place for all of us.

That being said, today's article seeks to provide an answer to the question whether eating certain dairy foods like yogurt has the capacity to reduce the chances of occurrence of type 2 diabetes. However, it is important for us to have a quick run-through on the topic.

Key Points About Diabetes

Here are some key facts about diabetes. More detail and supporting information can be found at the 'references for further reading' section.

Diabetes is a long term metabolic impairment that causes high blood sugar levels.
According to Williams text book of endocrinology, 382 million people throughout the world had diabetes in 2013.
Type 1 Diabetes — here the body lacks the ability to respond to or produce insulin. About 10% of all diabetes cases are type 1. It is usually diagnosed in people that are less than 40 years of age.
Type 2 Diabetes — this is the type whereby the body does not produce enough insulin for normal metabolic functioning. About 90% of diabetes cases worldwide are of type 2. It is usually diagnosed in elderly people.
Gestational Diabetes — this type of diabetes is common in pregnant women.
The most common symptoms of diabetes include male sexual dysfunction, unusual weight loss, intense thirst and hunger, frequent urination, wounds that do not heal, numbness and tingling in hands and feet, etc.
Those having type 1 diabetes should follow a healthy eating plan, take insulin and exercise enough to have chance of leading a normal life.
Type 2 patients should eat healthy food, exercise regularly and test their blood glucose levels. When necessary, they should also take oral medication (insulin) to keep to balance their blood glucose levels.

Diabetic patients have a much higher risk of cardiovascular diseases; hence, it is crucial that blood pressure and cholesterol levels are monitored regularly.
Diabetics should stop smoking because diabetes have a serious negative effect on cardiovascular health.

Intake Of Dairy Foods (Yogurt) And The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

Coming to the crux of this article, let's take a look at the question again: can consumption of certain dairy foods like yogurt reduce the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes? The answer is YES!

New research (by O'Connor, L. M., et al, 2014,) published in Diabetologia, found that eating yogurt in place of a portion of other snacks like crisps reduced the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes. To quote the research conclusion:

...higher consumption of yogurt, compared with non consumption, can reduce the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 28%, and that higher consumption of low fermented dairy products including all varieties of yogurt and some low fat cheese also reduced the risk of diabetes by 24% overall. source

Commenting on the research results, Dr Nita Forouhi of the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, who was among the research team, said:

This research highlights that specific foods may have an important role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and are relevant for public health messages. Source

While this type of study cannot prove that consumption of dairy products causes the reduced risk of diabetes, dairy products contain important constituents like Vitamin D, Calcium, and Magnesium. In addition, fermented dairy products may exert beneficial effects against type 2 diabetes via the activities of their huge probiotic bacteria population and a special form of vitamin k.

At a time when we have a lot of other evidence that consuming high amounts of certain foods, such as added sugars and sugary drinks, is bad for our health, it is very reassuring to have messages about other foods like yogurt and low fat fermented dairy products, that could be good for our health. Dr Forouhi concluded.

Conclusion

From what we have done so far and base on verifiable research findings as stated in this article, having elderly people living in our midst take yogurt regularly, is not a bad idea.