When we think of dessert, the first things that usually come to mind are cakes, ice cream, chocolate and other sweet treats.
Unfortunately, desserts are often associated with weight gain, obesity, diabetes and other health problems. For many of us, they are something to enjoy occasionally but certainly not something we would normally eat in the name of better health.
But what if I told you that one popular dessert could be different?
What if there was a creamy, delicious treat that was not only considered healthy but was also linked to slowing down the body's biological ageing process?
It may sound too good to be true, but a recent study has uncovered some fascinating findings and the dessert in question is probably something you've seen countless times at your local supermarket.
A new study has found that a popular dairy product, which may already be part of your diet, could potentially help slow down the biological ageing process.
The research, published in the journal Aging, examined how a combination of dietary changes and regular exercise affected the health of men aged between 50 and 74 over a three-month period.
The study involved 48 overweight men in Japan. Half of the participants followed a structured intervention programme, while the other half continued with their usual lifestyle and served as the control group.
Those in the intervention group were asked to consume 100 grams of probiotic yoghurt every day. They also received personalised dietary advice, including recommendations to avoid overeating, reduce excessive snacking and cut out sugary drinks.
However, yoghurt was not the only change they made.
Participants in the intervention group were also instructed to walk or use a stepper machine for approximately 30 minutes a day, at least three times per week.
Before and after the three-month study, researchers collected blood samples from all 48 participants. They also analysed changes in the participants' DNA that can act as indicators of biological or cellular ageing.
To measure the participants' rate of ageing, researchers used a tool known as DunedinPACE.
Unlike a person's chronological age, which simply measures how many years they have been alive, DunedinPACE estimates the current pace at which a person's body is biologically ageing.
The results were certainly interesting.
Researchers found that the men who followed the intervention which included eating probiotic yoghurt, improving their diet and exercising regularly experienced a significant reduction in their pace of biological ageing compared with the control group.
On average, the intervention group experienced an approximately 2.2% reduction in the speed of biological ageing.
Interestingly, a similar reduction had previously been observed in a two-year study in the United States, where participants reduced their daily calorie intake by around 25%.
Perhaps even more surprisingly, the slower pace of ageing observed in this study did not appear to be directly linked to weight loss.
Researchers found no clear association between the reduction in biological ageing and changes in the participants' body mass index (BMI). The results were also not directly associated with the exact number of exercise sessions participants completed.
The study also identified improvements in a specific DNA marker associated with kidney function.
However, before you start filling your fridge with yoghurt, there is an important limitation to consider.
The researchers pointed out that the intervention involved three major components: probiotic yoghurt, dietary changes and exercise.
Because these factors were combined, it is impossible to say with certainty that yoghurt alone was responsible for slowing the participants' biological ageing.
In other words, the benefits observed may have resulted from the combination of healthier eating habits, regular physical activity and the daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt.
The type of yoghurt you choose may also matter.
While yoghurt is often marketed as a healthy food because of its protein, calcium and probiotic content, many commercially available products can also contain surprisingly high amounts of added sugar.
A previous study published in BMJ Open examined almost 900 yoghurt products sold across five major supermarket chains in the United Kingdom.
The researchers found that only around 9% of the products qualified as low in sugar, based on government guidelines defining low-sugar products as containing no more than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams.
Some of the products that consumers might assume are healthier were among those with the highest average sugar content.
Organic yoghurts, for example, had an average of 13.1 grams of sugar per 100 grams. Yoghurts marketed towards children averaged around 10.8 grams, while Greek and natural yoghurt products averaged approximately 5 grams per 100 grams.
Although that study was conducted in the United Kingdom, it serves as an important reminder for Malaysian consumers to check nutrition labels rather than assuming that every yoghurt product is automatically healthy.
Some yoghurt products sold in Malaysia may also contain substantial amounts of added sugar, particularly flavoured varieties.
This is worth paying attention to because regularly consuming excessive amounts of added sugar is associated with several negative health effects, and may work against the very goal of maintaining healthy ageing.
So, while probiotic yoghurt may potentially be part of a lifestyle that supports healthier ageing, simply eating any yoghurt you find on the supermarket shelf is unlikely to be the answer.
If you are considering adding yoghurt to your diet, choosing a plain or low-added-sugar option and combining it with a balanced diet and regular exercise may be a more sensible approach.
The takeaway from this study is perhaps not that yoghurt alone can magically turn back the clock.
Instead, it provides another interesting reminder that small, consistent changes to our diet and lifestyle may work together to influence how our bodies age over time.
Aaron Colt (aaronafter@hotmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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