A study involving more than 37,000 American adults found that moderate consumption of yogurt, cheese and other fermented dairy products was associated with an 18% lower risk of death from any cause and a 20% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Adults who consume fermented dairy products may face a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or other causes, according to a new study examining the dietary habits and mortality outcomes of more than 37,000 Americans over approximately a decade.
The research, published Sept. 15, 2026, in Scientific Reports, found that participants who consumed fermented dairy had an 18% lower risk of death from any cause and a 20% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared with those who reported no fermented dairy consumption. The analysis included yogurt, cheese, buttermilk and sour cream.
Researchers emphasized that the findings demonstrate an association rather than a causal relationship. The observational study cannot establish that eating fermented dairy directly prevents cardiovascular disease or extends life expectancy.
The investigation was conducted by Fan Zhang and Wenjian Li of the Affiliated Changzhou Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University in China. The researchers analyzed data from 37,366 adults participating in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2018.
Participants reported their food consumption through 24-hour dietary recalls, allowing investigators to estimate fermented dairy intake. Researchers subsequently examined mortality records to determine whether dietary patterns were associated with differences in survival.
Over a median follow-up period of approximately 9.5 years, participants who reported consuming fermented dairy demonstrated lower overall and cardiovascular mortality after researchers accounted for various demographic, lifestyle and health-related characteristics.
The analysis produced a hazard ratio of 0.82 for all-cause mortality and 0.80 for cardiovascular mortality among consumers compared with nonconsumers.
Those figures indicate an estimated 18% and 20% lower relative risk, respectively, rather than absolute reductions of that magnitude in an individual’s probability of dying.
The findings also suggested that moderate consumption, rather than increasingly large quantities, was associated with the most favorable outcomes.
Researchers identified a nonlinear, J-shaped relationship between fermented dairy intake and mortality, with a turning point around 150 grams per day, equivalent to approximately 5.3 ounces.
Below that intake level, greater consumption was associated with progressively lower mortality risk. Beyond approximately 150 grams daily, additional consumption was not associated with further statistically significant reductions in risk.
The results suggest that relatively modest quantities of fermented dairy may be sufficient to capture the observed association, although the researchers did not establish an optimal dietary recommendation.
The findings contribute to an ongoing debate over the role of dairy foods in cardiovascular health, particularly because some fermented products contain substantial amounts of saturated fat.
Traditional dietary guidance has encouraged limiting saturated fat because it can raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, commonly called LDL or bad cholesterol. Elevated LDL cholesterol is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
However, researchers increasingly examine the health effects of whole foods rather than evaluating their saturated fat content in isolation.
Cheese and yogurt, for example, contain combinations of protein, calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients that may influence their overall metabolic effects. Fermentation can also produce biologically active compounds that affect digestion and other physiological processes.
A February 2026 analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition examined 50 prospective cohort studies involving more than 3 million participants and found that higher consumption of fermented milk products, including yogurt, and cheese was associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
That analysis also identified an association between fermented milk consumption and lower cancer mortality, although the researchers cautioned that observational findings cannot establish direct protective effects.
The authors discussed several possible biological mechanisms, including the production of bioactive peptides during fermentation, changes in gut microbial activity and the potential influence of fermented foods on inflammation and blood vessel function.
Fermented dairy products are produced when microorganisms convert lactose and other components of milk into different substances, including lactic acid.
The process changes a food’s flavor, texture and chemical composition. Depending on the product and manufacturing process, it may also introduce live microorganisms or generate compounds that could influence digestion and metabolism.
Not all fermented dairy products contain meaningful quantities of live bacteria when consumed, and the presence of beneficial microorganisms varies considerably among products.
Researchers have also investigated whether the physical structure of dairy foods, sometimes described as the dairy matrix, influences how the body responds to their fat and nutrient content.
The combination of minerals, proteins and fat in cheese, for instance, may produce metabolic effects that differ from those associated with equivalent amounts of saturated fat consumed in other foods.
A 2025 study published in the European Journal of Nutrition examined fermented dairy consumption among 25,187 participants followed for approximately 23.5 years.
That research found that higher intake of certain cheeses was associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Low-fat fermented milk consumption was also associated with lower overall mortality, while high-fat fermented milk showed no significant association in the analysis.
Researchers additionally examined blood proteins associated with fermented dairy consumption, identifying biological pathways related to immune responses and inflammation.
Together, the findings indicate that fermented dairy products may have different health associations depending on their composition, fat content and preparation methods.
Nevertheless, the September 2026 Scientific Reports study has several important limitations.
Dietary intake was assessed using participants’ reported consumption over a 24-hour period, which may not accurately represent eating habits maintained over many years. Individuals can also misremember or inaccurately report the types and quantities of foods they consume.
Although researchers adjusted for multiple potential confounding factors, unmeasured differences between fermented dairy consumers and nonconsumers could have influenced the results.
People who regularly consume yogurt or other fermented products may differ in physical activity, overall diet quality, health care access or other characteristics that affect mortality independently of dairy consumption.
The broad fermented dairy category also limits the ability to determine whether particular foods account for the observed associations.
Yogurt, cheese, buttermilk and sour cream differ considerably in fat content, sodium levels, bacterial composition and nutritional characteristics. Results for the combined category therefore should not be interpreted as evidence that every fermented dairy product provides identical health benefits.
The researchers did not demonstrate that adding fermented dairy to a person’s diet would produce the same mortality differences observed between study groups.
Establishing a causal effect would require additional research, potentially including randomized dietary interventions examining specific products and cardiovascular risk factors.
The findings also do not eliminate established concerns about excessive saturated fat consumption or suggest that individuals should disregard broader dietary recommendations.
Instead, they add to evidence that the relationship between dairy consumption and long-term health may depend on the type of food, its nutritional composition and the overall dietary pattern in which it is consumed.
For consumers, the findings suggest that moderate amounts of fermented dairy can be compatible with a heart-conscious diet. Individual choices may still depend on lactose tolerance, sodium intake, saturated fat consumption and other nutritional considerations.
The researchers concluded that moderate fermented dairy consumption was associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the American adults studied, while emphasizing that their results do not establish causation.
The study adds to a growing body of research suggesting that evaluating whole foods and their interactions with the body may provide a more complete understanding of long-term health than considering individual nutrients alone.
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