Yogurt: Roles in Nutrition and Impacts on Health

Yogurt is a fermented food that has existed for centuries with bioactive properties that have long been thought to be beneficial to health. The first commercial yogurts, sold over a hundred years ago in pharmacies, were recommended to treat digestive disorders. Yogurt: Roles in Nutrition and Impacts on Health compiles the scientific research to date into a comprehensive reference book that explores yogurt's role in diet and health, its composition in micro- and macronutrients, and the potential mechanisms underlying its health benefits.

Yogurt’s composition as a unique blend of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and ferments makes yogurt a nutrient-dense food that is included by health authorities in food-based dietary guidelines. This book shows how regular yogurt consumption contributes to the intake of key nutrients, such as calcium and protein, and is associated with healthy dietary patterns and lifestyles.

The authors review the current evidence linking yogurt consumption to cardiometabolic health and other health conditions, including its established benefits in lactose digestion, its promising role in the prevention of weight management and type 2 diabetes, and its potential impact on cardiometabolic risk factors. This reference book is a key resource for nutrition scientists, dairy researchers, dietitians, health professionals, and educational institutions looking for a state-of-the-art review of the scientific evidence on the role of yogurt in nutrition and health.

Dr. André Marette is Professor of Medicine at the Heart and Lung Institute and Scientific Director of the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods at Laval University.  He also holds a research Chair on the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Dr. Marette is an international renowned expert on the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and his research has advanced the understanding of the cellular/molecular mechanisms of inflammation, and opened new possibilities for prevention and treatment and type 2 diabetes and CVD. He recently discovered that omega3-PUFA-derived protectin DX can protect against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes through a novel myokine-liver glucoregulatory axis (Nat Med 2014). He holds several grants from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Canadian Diabetes Association. Dr. Marette has received several awards for his work including the prestigious Young Scientist Award of the Canadian Diabetes Association and the 50th anniversary Award of Diabète Québec in recognition for his outstanding contribution to diabetes research both nationally and internationally. He also received the Charles Best Award from the University of Toronto for his overall contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge in the field of diabetes. Dr. Marette has published over 150 papers and reviews in peer-reviewed journals including four in Nature Medicine. He has been on the editorial boards of several Journals (AJP, Diabetes) and has acted as internal or external referee to a number of international and national funding agencies, and has lectured widely on the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, inflammation and diabetes.

Éliane Picard-Deland is a registered dietician and holds a Master degree in nutrition from Université Laval. She is the project manager of international affairs at the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods and a Research Coordinator at Laval Hospital in Quebec City. Through her work she has gained extensive experience working in international research and industry innovation.

Melissa Fernandez is a registered dietician specialized in population health with a Master degree in nutrition from McGill University. She is an excellent writer and has had extensive experience in public health nutrition research. She is currently working as a research assistant for Dr. André Marette while pursuing a PhD in nutrition at Université Laval.