Yogurt Consumption Lowers Risk of Blood Pressure

Having nutritional benefits beyond those of milk, yogurt is more than just a nutritious snack. It is known to boost protein and bone building calcium.

The new research presented at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions highlights another benefit of adding yogurt to your diet.

According to the research yogurt helps to lower the risk of high blood pressure.

Prior to this, studies have shown long-term yogurt-eaters were less likely to develop high blood pressure and on average had lower systolic blood pressure than those who didn't eat yogurt. 

Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading. It measures the force of blood against the walls of your arteries when your heart is beating.  It is the most common form of high blood pressure for older Americans. For most Americans, systolic blood pressure increases with age, while diastolic increases until about age 55 and then declines.

The study that was held for 15 years the researchers had nearly 2,000 volunteers who did not have high blood pressure at the start of the study. With the help of questionnaire filled out by the volunteers at three intervals over the study period they measured the yogurt consumption.

They noticed that the participants were 31 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure if at least 2 percent of their daily calories came from yogurt, which would be like eating at least one six-ounce cup of low-fat yogurt every three days. Plus systolic blood pressure increased less than that of people who didn't eat yogurt.