In comparison with people that did not eat yogurt, those who ate this dairy product regularly did not display any significant improvement in their score on the physical component of quality of life, and although there was a slight improvement mentally, this was not statistically significant," states López-García.
Specifically, participants that consumed six or fewer servings of yogurt a week reported similar physical health survey scores compared with participants that consumed at least one serving every day. These results were similar among participants that had no diagnosed illnesses, never smoked or followed the Mediterranean diet.
Unfortunately, the researchers only assessed yogurt consumption at the start of the study. Individual levels of yogurt consumption may have changed during the follow-up period. Additionally, the researchers did not track the consumption of other food items that may have influenced their findings.
The findings of the study could be used to help evaluate any claims from the dairy industry concerning the healthful properties of yogurt. The US Department of Agriculture, for example, must review any such claims put forward by the food industry in order to allow or reject their commercial use.
Last month, Medical News Today reported on a study that set out to investigate whether there was any truth behind the proverbial claim that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Although regular apple consumption did not reduce the use of health care services, it did reduce reliance on prescription medications.
Written by James McIntosh