Traditional yogurt and its beneficial properties in patients with insulin resistance
Imbalances in the composition of the intestinal microbiome have recently been reported in people with Metabolic Syndrome. This has led the scientific community to investigate the contribution of the intestinal microbiome to the benefits of lifestyle interventions in order to improve the characteristics of Metabolic Syndrome and its symptoms.
A recent study showed that the consumption of fermented dairy products is associated with a healthier lifestyle and a greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
A new randomized controlled study has shown that yogurt can help improve insulin resistance in obese women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and Metabolic Syndrome, with the participation of bacteria of intestinal microbiome and metabolic agents.
The researchers administered 220 g of yogurt per day (n=48) or regular whole milk (n=44) to obese adult women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and Metabolic Syndrome. Anthropometric indices, metabolic parameters, inflammatory cytokines, and intestinal microbiome were assessed at baseline and after 6 months of the intervention. Compared to milk, yogurt intake led to an improvement in insulin resistance, fasting insulin, and 2-hour insulin, along with a decrease in alanine aminotransferase (ALT / SGPT) and liver fat.
In addition, yogurt intake led to decreased levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, vaspin (an adipokine, with action on insulin sensitization and anti-inflammatory action), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF 21), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and increased oxidative stress markers including glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase.
Yogurt has also led to specific changes in the composition of the gut microbiome with a currently unknown functional impact.
A statistical model was used to elucidate the possible mechanisms by which yogurt consumption improves insulin resistance. According to this model, LPS, markers of inflammatory and oxidative stress, serum lipids, and liver damage as assessed by fat accumulation, may be interrelated and enhance the benefits of yogurt to human metabolism.
Overall, these findings suggest that yogurt consumption may improve insulin resistance, which is a common feature of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and Metabolic Syndrome, possibly by lowering serum lipids, inflammation, oxidative stress, and LPS and by altering the intestinal microbiome composition.
These findings along with previous epidemiological and randomized controlled studies indicate the benefits of yogurt intake not only in obese but also in healthy individuals.
At Diagnostiki Athinon we provide tests - EnteroScan® - that examine the intestinal microbiome and give answers to many health concerns. With the help of EnteroScan®, the treating physician can, with completely individualized and special therapeutic interventions, help in the etiological solution of many pathological conditions.
