Research published on Feb. 12 suggests that incorporating yogurt into your diet could potentially help prevent colon cancer.
The study, published in the journal “Gut Biomes,” analyzed data from two studies involving more than 150,000 individuals over a 30-year period.
“We hypothesized that long-term yogurt intake might be associated with colorectal cancer incidence differentially by tumor subgroups according to the amount of tissue Bifidobacterium,” explained the study.
Bifidobacterium is a beneficial bacterium commonly found in yogurt.
The findings indicated that individuals who consumed yogurt at least twice a week had a reduced risk of Bifidobacterium-positive proximal colon cancer compared to those who consumed it less frequently.
Incorporating yogurt into your diet may have health benefits, including potentially preventing a type of colon cancer. (iStock)
“Our findings suggest that yogurt intake may have a protective effect against colorectal cancer for individuals with an impaired intestinal barrier,” the study concluded.
Dr. Tomotaka Ugai, a co-senior author of the study, expressed that the results were not surprising based on previous research. Ugai is an instructor at Harvard Medical School and a faculty member in the Cancer Epidemiology Program at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.
“Yogurt can be considered beneficial for health, potentially reducing the risk of this subtype of colorectal cancer based on our study and other research,” he stated.
The study also suggested that yogurt consumption could help lower the risk of colon cancer by influencing the intestinal microbiome.
Yogurt consumption is associated with decreased rates of colon cancer. (iStock)
Ugai advised individuals who already enjoy yogurt to continue consuming it, potentially increasing their intake to more than two servings per week if they are concerned about preventing colorectal cancer.
However, he emphasized that individuals should not feel pressured to consume yogurt if they do not enjoy it. There are plenty of other healthy dietary options, such as fruits and vegetables, that can offer similar health benefits.
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If yogurt is not your preference, there are other healthy dietary options available. (iStock)
Ugai also mentioned that while it is challenging to identify comparable products to yogurt that have the same impact on the gut microbiome, a 2017 study linked diets high in whole grains and dietary fiber to a reduced risk of colon tumors.
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So, if yogurt is not your cup of tea, incorporating whole grains and dietary fiber into your diet could also be beneficial for colon health.
