Yogurt reduces high blood pressure, says a new study

GlobalPost

Yogurt has been found to reduce blood pressure in a new study.

Researchers at Minnesota University found that the naturally-occurring calcium in yogurt is the likely cause of the health benefit as it helps keep blood vessels flexible.

The study included 2000 people that did not have high blood pressure initially.

The researchers tracked the participants' health over 14 years and found that those who ate greater amounts of yogurt were 31 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure than those who ate less yogurt, said US News & World Report.

Indeed those who took two percent (or more) of their daily calories from yogurt significantly reduced their risk of high blood pressure.

That comes to about 40 to 50 calories daily - the size of a small pot of yogurt.

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"Yogurt can be part of a healthy diet and may help with managing blood pressure," Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center told ABC News.

"A healthy diet coupled with regular physical exercise can help you manage your health and prevent chronic diseases like high blood pressure."

Having high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.

The CDC estimates that about 68 million Americans are plagued by it.

The Telegraph reported that calcium can be effective at reducing high blood pressure through eating dairy products.

Yet, high doses, particularly in pill form, can have the opposite effect by building up calcium on artery walls.

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