FDA looks for solution of Type 2 Diabetes
In light of the fact that more Americans are dying from type 2 diabetes and taking drugs like Ozempic to treat the condition, the US Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday that it would permit yogurt manufacturers to claim that their product may lower the risk of the disease.
According to a letter published on the agency’s website, the FDA will allow dairy companies to claim that eating yogurt on a regular basis—at least two cups or three servings per week—may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes based on scant scientific evidence.
Activia yogurt maker Danone SA asked the FDA to greenlight the claim in 2018, after the French company “noticed the body of evidence was really growing and becoming more compelling” to support it, said Amanda Blechman, Danone director of health and scientific affairs.
Any maker of dairy-based yogurt will be able to use the claim, according to her. Danone’s rivals comprise privately held Chobani and General Mills, the maker of Yoplait.
Although many manufacturers add sugar to yogurt, the research showed that the benefit still applied, “regardless of sugar or fat content,” Blechman said.
According to the FDA’s letter, using the claim on yogurts that have a “significant amount of added sugars could contribute empty calories to the diet.” The FDA expressed concern over this. When deciding whether to use the claim on yogurts with a lot of added sugar, the regulator stated that it “encourages careful consideration”.
According to FDA guidelines, Yoplait’s single-serve pina colada yogurt contains 13 grams (0.5 ounce) of added sugar, which is a high percentage for a daily diet. Danone’s 0.3 ounce (nine grams) of added sugar is found in their creamy classic peach mango yogurt.
Danone filed an application for the claim with the FDA after Blechman referenced a 2014 study from the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, which indicated a higher intake of yogurt is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
According to her, Danone’s FDA application included 32 studies to back up its assertion that eating yogurt lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, a benefit not observed in other dairy products. While the exact reason why yogurt lowers the risk of the disease is unknown, Belchman suggested that it might be due to the live cultures that ferment milk in the food.
Danone or a connected company provided at least some funding for six of the thirty-two studies listed in the company’s FDA application.
Also Read: 5 Lifestyle Factors That Disrupt Metabolism and How to Combat Them
