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Yogurt, diet quality and lifestyle factors

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 71, pages 573–579 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Yogurt consumption has been associated with healthy dietary patterns and lifestyles, better diet quality and healthier metabolic profiles. Studies have shown that frequent yogurt consumers do not only have higher nutrient intakes, but also an improved diet quality, which includes higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and dairy compared with low or non-consumers indicating better compliance with dietary guidelines. Recent epidemiological and clinical evidence suggests that yogurt contributes to better metabolic health because of its effects on the control of body weight, energy homeostasis and glycemic control. Furthermore, yogurt consumers have been shown to be more physically active (⩾ 2 h/week), smoke less, have higher education and knowledge of nutrition compared with non-consumers. Thus, yogurt consumption may be considered a signature of a healthy diet through its nutritional content, impact on metabolic health including the control of energy balance, body weight and glycemia and its relationships with healthier behaviors and lifestyle factors.

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Acknowledgements

The research of Angelo Tremblay is partly funded by the Canada Research Chair in Environment and Energy Balance. André Marette’s research was partly funded by a CIHR/Pfizer Research Chair on the pathogenesis and cardiovascular diseases. Shirin Panahi is the recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the Canadian Diabetes Association.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada

    S Panahi & A Tremblay

  2. Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada

    M A Fernandez & A Marette

  3. School of Nutrition, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada

    M A Fernandez & A Tremblay

  4. Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Québec City, Québec, Canada

    M A Fernandez, A Marette & A Tremblay

  5. Department of Medicine, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada

    A Marette

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  1. S Panahi
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Correspondence to A Tremblay.

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Competing interests

Angelo Tremblay serves on the Yogurt in Nutrition Initiative for Health Advisory Board for Danone Institute International and on the board of the Danone Institute of Canada. His research has been funded, in part, by Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Dairy Research Institute of the United States, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Nestlé. André Marette is a consultant for Danone Nutricia Research. Shirin Panahi and Angelo Tremblay have received an honorarium from Danone Nutricia Research.

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Panahi, S., Fernandez, M., Marette, A. et al. Yogurt, diet quality and lifestyle factors. Eur J Clin Nutr 71, 573–579 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.214

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