Yogurt and Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Exploring the FDA Qualified Health Claim and Potential Implications for Improving Public Health

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a significant public health burden in the U.S. today. As the incidence is predicted to increase, advancing our understanding of food-based recommendations that reduce the risk of T2D is critical to improve public health. Over the past two decades, a body of scientific evidence has emerged demonstrating the association between consumption of dairy yogurt and reduced risk of T2D. This culminated in 2024, with the decision of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to announce a qualified health claim on the consumption of yogurt and reduced T2D risk. Qualified health claims enable specific messaging on the role that a food may play in mediating disease risk. As yogurt is a component of the under-consumed Dairy food group within the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), communication on the relationship between yogurt and T2D risk can help encourage the public to increased intake of yogurt and with it, nutrients of public health concern such as calcium. The key research included in the FDA enforcement discretion letter and Evidence-Based Review is outlined. This Perspective illustrates the outcome of multi-sector work that includes scientific researchers, nonprofit and industry partners, and policymakers in the development and activation of science-based public health messaging.

The scale of the evidence base on the health effects of conventional yogurt consumption: findings of a scoping review

BACKGROUND

The health effects of conventional yogurt have been investigated for over a century; however, few systematic reviews have been conducted to assess the extent of the health benefits of yogurt.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this scoping review was to assess the volume of available evidence on the health effects of conventional yogurt.

METHODS

The review was guided by a protocol agreed a priori and informed by an extensive literature search conducted in November 2013. Randomized controlled trials were selected and categorized according to the eligibility criteria established in the protocol.

RESULTS

213 studies were identified as relevant to the scoping question. The number of eligible studies identified for each outcome were: bone health (14 studies), weight management and nutrition related health outcomes (81 studies), metabolic health (6 studies); cardiovascular health (57 studies); gastrointestinal health (24 studies); cancer (39 studies); diabetes (13 studies), Parkinson's disease risk (3 studies), all-cause mortality (3 studies), skin complaints (3 studies), respiratory complaints (3 studies), joint pain/function (2 studies); the remaining 8 studies reported a variety of other outcomes. For studies of a similar design and which assessed the same outcomes in similar population groups, we report the potential for the combining of data across studies in systematic reviews.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review has revealed the extensive evidence base for many outcomes which could be the focus of systematic reviews exploring the health effects of conventional yogurt consumption.