Fermented dairy products protect against cardiac crisis

Fermented milk products, which are part of the Mediterranean diet (Cretan diet) or the traditional diet of the Nordic countries, are known to have several favorable immunological effects.

Several previous studies suggest that fermented dairy products such as yogurt or goat cheese could improve the immune system.

One reason is that their fats are less well absorbed. Thus, these fermented products positively nourish the intestinal flora.

In a Finnish study published on 29 October 2018 in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers reveal interesting new results.

In fact, men who consume a lot of fermented dairy products are less likely to have coronary heart disease than men who consume less of these products.

On the other hand, a very high consumption of unfermented milk products was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

FERTILIZED DAIRY PRODUCTS AGAINST CARDIAC CRISIS

Previous studies have shown that fermented dairy products have more positive effects on blood lipid profiles and risk of heart disease than other dairy products.

Cheese, yoghurt, kefir, cottage cheese and fermented milk are examples of fermented dairy products that are simple enough to incorporate into a healthy and balanced diet.

However, to date research on the subject remains rare.

A STUDY ON THE RISK FACTORS OF ISCHEMIC CARDIOPATHY

The study of risk factors for ischemic heart disease performed by a Finnish team examined the possible associations between fermented and unfermented milk products and the risk of incident coronary heart disease.

About 2,000 men participated in the study. Their eating habits were evaluated at the beginning of the study in 1984-1989 and monitored on average for 20 years.

During this follow-up, 472 men were victims of an episode of coronary heart disease.

Participants in the study were divided into groups based on their consumption of different dairy products.

The researchers compared the groups with the highest and the lowest consumption, while taking into account various lifestyle and nutrition factors.

The study notes that: when study participants were divided into four groups based on their consumption of fermented milk products containing less than 3.5% fat, the risk of incident coronary heart disease was 26% lower in the most consumer group compared to the least consumer group.

Acidic milk was the most commonly used low-fat fermented milk product.

In addition, the consumption of fermented dairy products high in fat, such as cheese, was not associated with the risk of coronary events.

On the other hand, the researchers found that a very high intake of unfermented dairy products was associated with an increased risk of incident coronary heart disease.

Milk was the most used product in this category and a very high consumption corresponded to an average milk consumption of 0.9 liters per day. Lower levels of consumption were not associated with risk.

Finally, the authors point out that in Finland, the consumption habits of different dairy products have changed in recent decades.

For example, the consumption of milk and fermented milk has decreased, while many fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese, have become more popular.

In conclusion, this new study provides additional evidence on the health benefits of fermented versus unfermented dairy products. Note that not all mechanisms are yet understood, but they may be related to compounds in formation during the fermentation process.

SOURCES :

CHD: the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. British Journal of Nutrition, 2018; 1 DOI: 10.1017 / S0007114518002830

World Health Organization (2017) Cardiovascular diseases. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/