Everyday breakfast food lowers risk of type 2 diabetes and help lose weight

Eating natural yoghurt every day also reduces the risks of getting cancer, research has shown

A nutritional scientist has explained how a simple breakfast staple could be a game-changer in dodging type 2 diabetes and shedding some weight. Plain yoghurt, brimming with health perks is packed with "good" bacteria.

It is also a treasure trove of protein and calcium for sturdy bones and muscles. Research from the Medical Research Council's epidemiology unit at the University of Cambridge has shown that regular eaters of plain yoghurt had their risk of developing type 2 diabetes slashed by 28 per cent compared to those who gave it a miss.

Plus, a top expert reckons it even puts up a fight against fat absorption from your food, making it easier to lose weight. The scientists, who pored over data from 5,000 individuals, unveiled in the Nutrition and Cancer journal that a daily dollop of 40g of yoghurt can trim down liver cancer risk by 5.4 per cent. Ian Marber, a nutrition therapist, said: "Plain yoghurt has lots of health benefits and is often cheaper than trendy alternatives", reports Gloucestershire Live.

Researchers from the University of Washington, who monitored over 80,000 individuals for a quarter of a century, have discovered that consuming at least two servings of yoghurt per week reduces the risk of pre-cancerous growths, or adenomas, by a fifth. These can develop in glandular organs such as the prostate.

The study, published in the journal Gut, found that among all participants - all of whom underwent a lower-bowel endoscopy to inspect their gut - it was the yoghurt consumers who had 19% fewer growths and 26% fewer of the highest risk variety.

Meanwhile, scientists at the Medical Research Council epidemiology unit at the University of Cambridge reported that regular yoghurt eaters had a 28% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who never consumed it.

However, some of the most significant benefits have been observed by researchers studying the anti-inflammatory effects of yoghurt. Typically, inflammatory markers in the body increase after eating, particularly when the meal is high in fat and sugar.

High levels of inflammation are linked with conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, and asthma.

Yoghurt is a rich source of iodine, vitamins D, B2 and B12, and zinc, according to Mr Marber. He also highlighted its protein content and, like milk, it contains the "most widely available and easily absorbed form of calcium".

Dr Caroline Childs, a nutritional sciences researcher at the University of Southampton, has praised yoghurt for its health benefits. She said: "Broadly speaking, yoghurt is a very good thing. It's a useful way to get probiotics or friendly bacteria and it tastes good. There are some studies that have suggested consuming calcium-rich foods like yoghurt make it harder for the body to absorb fat from food,. But it needs to be plain milk yoghurt, with nothing else added to it, to have these effects."