Yogurt Supplemented With Probiotic May Help Support Blood Sugar Health

HbA1c is a measure of the average blood sugar level over the past 3 months. A level between 5.7% and 6.4% is considered pre-diabetes. A new study has found that consuming yogurt containing Lactobacillus plantarum may help improve HbA1c levels and prevent an increase in inflammation in people who are pre-diabetic.

Participants in the study included 129 people between the ages of 20 and 64 with pre-diabetes. Half of them consumed a yogurt containing 5 billion units of Lactobacillus plantarum daily for 12 weeks. The other half consumed a regular yogurt. Blood samples were taken at baseline, week 4, week 8, and week 12.

HbA1c levels were significantly reduced in both groups at the end of the study period. However, the greatest reduction was seen in the Lactobacillus plantarum group, -0.12, compared to -0.07 in the placebo group. Chronic inflammation markers increased in the placebo group, but not in the Lactobacillus plantarum group. No differences were seen between the groups in fasting glucose levels.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Tokyo. It was published online ahead of print on January 31, 2020 in the journal Nutrients.