Yogurt can lower diabetes risk, FDA allows makers to claim, with caveats

Yogurt makers can now claim their products can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to new guidance from the Food and Drug Administration – with some caveats.

• The FDA's decision allows yogurt companies to make a "qualified health claim"That regular consumption of yogurt (at least two cups or three servings per week) can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• The claim must specify that there is limited scientific evidence to support it. The FDA said there was some evidence linking yogurt intake and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes "regardless of fat or sugar content." But this finding was based on observational studies that measure associations rather than a cause-and-effect relationship between a substance and a disease, he added.
• In its guidance, the FDA noted opposing views, including that the measure could "encourage consumers to increase consumption of yogurts, including those high in added sugars." Added sugars They have been linked to a number of health problems, including diabetes. Recognizing that concern, the FDA urged “careful consideration” whether to use the claim “on products that could contribute significant amounts of added sugars to the diet.”

More than one billion people are expected to have diabetes by 2050

The move follows a 2018 petition from representatives of Danone North America, which sell yogurts, drinks and baby formulas, among other food products. The petition aforementioned 117 publications as evidence for the claim that yogurt consumption reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, the FDA said. At least six of the studies were at least partially funded by Danone or a related company, Reuters reported.