Is This Cheap Fridge Staple The Key To Living Longer?

Open fridgeWhen Dr Karan Rajan shared the foods he eats every day to lower his risk of bowel cancer, the GI surgeon listed yoghurt as one of his four staples. That’s not, as I originally thought, thanks to the gut-friendly bacteria in yoghurt. Nope – it’s because the cheap food is calcium-rich. And per a 2014 paper, each additional 300mg of calcium was linked to an 8% lower likelihood of developing bowel cancer (huh). That’s not all, though. A study of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera’s microbiome noted, “Our healthy supercentenarian ingested around three yoghurts every day containing streptococcus thermophilus and lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus, known to favour the growth of the described bacteria in the gut.” This, the researchers think, “Could be an example of a dietary intervention that, acting in the gut microbiota, is associated with healthy ageing and long lifespan.” Why might yoghurt be so good for us?First, as Professor Emad El-Omar, director of the University of New South Wales Microbiome Research Centre, told The Guardian, yoghurt alone can’t work wonders – Maria Branyas Morera ate an extremely healthy diet overall, which is more important than a single “superfood”. But the health-boosting CV of plain Greek and natural yoghurt (your favourite strawberry-flavour pots likely don’t count) still form an impressive CV.A 2022 paper found that regular yoghurt consumption was linked to a lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular (but not cancer) mortality. The researchers theorised that “yoghurt carries the beneficial bacteria into the gut, promoting immune functions through which it can improve human health”. The small intestine is heavily linked to our immune system. So when the lactobacillus in yoghurt helps to keep this healthy, it could go some way to preventing illness. As Professor El-Omar said, the strains of bacteria present in yoghurt also help to create antimicrobial substances in your gut.“They’re essentially keeping away the nasty guys and allowing that coexistence and natural balance that protects you from infections,” he shared.How much yoghurt should I eat to improve my health?There’s a bit of a catch to all this: not only was Maria Branyas Morera eating well in general (she adhered to the Mediterranean diet), but she also ate a lot of yoghurt. Three helpings a day, to be exact.And the 2022 paper found, “High intake of yoghurt compared with low intake was significantly associated with a lower risk of [all-cause] deaths... Each additional serving of yoghurt consumption per day was significantly associated with a reduced risk of all-cause and [cardiovascular] mortality”.No wonder Dr Rajan eats his daily. Still, to “healthmaxx” your yoghurt, the less dairy-loving among us might want to consider adding prebiotics, like berries, fruits, and nuts, to the dish. “They’re super easy to pair with probiotic-rich foods like yoghurt to create a synbiotic effect,” the surgeon suggested – meaning the benefits of both boost one another.Related...What Is 'Healthspan' And Why Does It Vary So Much Across The UK?The Exact Bedtime A Longevity Expert Sticks To For Healthy AgeingPeople Born From 1980 Onwards 'Will Not Live To Be 100', Longevity Study Suggests

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