Eating yoghurt daily can help control blood pressure, a new study has said. Conducted by the University of South Australia in collaboration with University of Maine, the study examined the association between yoghurt intake, blood pressure, and cardiovascular risk factors.
Published in International Dairy Journal, it noted that for those with hypertension, yoghurt helped reduce high blood pressure.
As per World Health Organization, hypertension or elevated blood pressure is a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risks of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases — and hence is called a ‘silent killer’.
How does yoghurt help?
As per Shweta Shah, Chief Nutritionist at Fitza – Your Digital Wellness Buddy, yoghurt has nutrients like calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin B6, and magnesium.
Magnesium is known to be good for high blood pressure while calcium helps in muscle contraction, which is good for the heart muscles, as per Harvard Health
As part of the study, habitual yoghurt consumption was measured using a food frequency questionnaire.
A 2016-study presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Lifestyle also found that women who consumed five or more servings of yoghurt throughout the week were at a lower risk of developing high blood pressure.
As per Shah, yoghurt also helps relieve gastric problems and cooling the heat from spicy foods.
How much to have?
Usually, three servings of milk and milk products are advised. “One can have 1 cup of yoghurt along with lunch and dinner each; and if you drink a glass of milk daily that makes three servings of milk products,” she told.
Alternatives for yoghurt?
Those who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or simply don’t like yoghurt, can choose from peanut curd, coconut curd, kombucha, etc. to get their dose of probiotics, said Shah.
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