Cheese could reduce risk of diabetes by 12 percent

GlobalPost

Regularly snacking on cheese may help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research suggests. 

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people who ate 55g of cheese or 55g of yogurt each day were 12 percent less likely to develop the condition. 

Researchers said that although high in saturated fat, it may be rich in types of the fat that could be good for the body. The group also said that yogurt's high concentration of vitamin D, calcium and magnesium could help the body ward off the condition, according to MSN Health. 

According to the Telegraph, type 2 diabetes is the most common type of the condition and occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin for it to function properly. Symptoms of diabetes such as fatigue, thirst, weight loss or gain, can be controlled by eating a healthy diet and monitoring your blood glucose level, but sufferers may also need to take insulin medication, according to WebMD. 

Dr Iain Frame, director of research for the charity Diabetes UK, told the Telegraph that people shouldn't start chowing down on cheese just yet. “It is too simplistic to concentrate on individual foods," Frame said. “We recommend a healthy balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables and low in salt and fat. This study gives us no reason to believe that people should change their dairy intake in an attempt to avoid the condition.”

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