Chapter 9 - Fermented milk, yogurt beverages, and probiotics: functional products with cardiovascular benefits?

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Developing therapeutics and prophylactics for CVD has been challenging, while a healthy diet and lifestyle are known to be critical for the prevention of CVD by reducing various associated risk factors. Dairy products were previously perceived to be detrimental to cardiovascular health due to their saturated fat content, but recent studies prove their neutral or even beneficial effect, which is attributed to the presence of dairy lipids and bioactive peptides. Based on the existing scientific evidence, yogurt and fermented beverages may provide even greater cardioprotection potentially linked with their probiotic contents and the various products of fermentation, such as the bioactive peptides. In this chapter, we summarize the research associated with some of the functional yogurt-based beverages on the market and their potential effects on cardiovascular health, while reference is also made to plant-based dairy-alternative fermented drinks. Moreover, the sensory properties of the fermented milk, yogurt beverages, and probiotics are discussed as these affect their consumption, while reference is also made to the regulatory framework associated with the health and nutrition claims made of these products.