Nevertheless, yogurt contains calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and fatty acids, all of which have known health benefits, according to Forouhi. The fermentation process that turns milk into yogurt also produces probiotic bacteria and “specific types of vitamin K,” that are known to be beneficial.
While Forouhi and her team stopped short of identifying a mechanism for the protective effects of yogurt, it’s likely that probiotic bacteria play a key role. Recent research has pointed towards the role of gut bacteria in mediating inflammation and thus increasing or decreasing the risk of numerous diseases including colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease, as well as diabetes.
In the last few years, studies have also suggested that eating nonfat and low-fat yogurt can aid weight loss, and boost immunity. How much yogurt is the right amount? Approximately four to five half-cup servings a week if you take your guidance from this study, which found the protective benefit came to those who ate 4.5 125-gram (approx. 4.4 oz.) cups of yogurt a week.
Forouhi and colleagues found no association between diabetes risk and consumption of milk or regular cheese. However, when it came to the overall category of low-fat fermented dairy products, which includes cottage cheese and fromage frais, another curd cheese, as well as yogurt, the risk of diabetes dropped by 24 percent