Yogurt is an essential part of Indian household and it is consumed in many interesting ways. Often considered important for gut health, new evidence suggest that yogurt many benefits that are still not widely known.
A new study conducted by the Mass General Brigham researchers found it may also have protective benefits against a certain type of aggressive colon cancer. According to a report by USA Today, the study authors analyzed data totaling over 150,000 people who answered questionnaires about lifestyle factors and disease outcomes, including questions about their intake of plain and flavored yogurt, as well as other dairy products.
The participants of this study were studied for at least three decades. The team of researchers found that people who ate two or more servings of yogurt a week had lower rates of proximal colon cancer that were positive for Bifidobacterium.
The findings of the study were published on Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Gut Microbes.
Proximal colon cancer is a type of colorectal cancer (CRC) that occurs in the first and middle parts of the colon. According to health experts, proximal colon cancer has been shown to have worse survival outcomes compared to patients with distal cancers, which occur more on the left side.
“It has long been believed that yogurt and other fermented milk products are beneficial for gastrointestinal health. Our new findings suggest that this protective effect may be specific for Bifidobacterium-positive tumors,” said co-senior author Dr. Tomotaka Ugai, a pathology investigator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as quoted by USA Today.
Data by American Cancer Society reveals that colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and the fourth-leading cause in women. The organization has also predicted that nearly 53,000 people will die from it in 2025.
Interestingly, the study has again highlighted the important association between between diet, the gut microbiome and the risk of colorectal cancer.
“It provides an additional avenue for us to investigate the specific role of these factors in the risk of colorectal cancer among young people,” co-author Dr. Andrew T. Chan, chief of clinical and translational epidemiology at Massachusetts General Hospital said.