Cross Sectional Analysis of the Effect of Yogurt and Fiber Consumption on BMI, Blood Pressure, and Lipids in College Students

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Results from recent studies suggest that maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is important for predicting health outcomes using biomarkers such as BMI, blood pressure, glucose, and lipids. College-aged students are an important population to consider as they are at a crucial stage in developing eating habits, including consumption of probiotic-rich, fermented foods and prebiotic fermentable nutrients. We hypothesize that yogurt consumption and fiber consumption will beneficially impact these outcomes and we explored a possible interaction. Methods In a cross-sectional design, 497 college students (76% female; 19.5 ± 3.62 yr; BMI 23.94 ± 4.72 kg/m2) enrolled in a general nutrition course completed the Dietary History Questionnaire II. Height and weight were measured, along with blood pressure with an electronic sphygmomanometer. Fasting blood glucose and lipids were measured with Cholestech. Median splits were used for yogurt (.05 cups/day) and fibers (18.71 grams/day) intakes. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to examine relationships of yogurt consumption and fiber consumption separately with BMI, blood pressure, and blood lipids. ANCOVA was used to control for added sugars intakes. To test for interactions between yogurt and fibers, 2 × 2 ANOVA and ANCOVA were used. Data are expressed as means ± standard deviations. Results Of the 497 students, 48% reported lower yogurt consumption while 50% reported lower fiber consumption. Univariate-measures analysis indicated a significant effect of higher yogurt consumption on BMI (P = .037), blood glucose (P = .048), and diastolic blood pressure (P = .035) while higher fiber consumption showed a significant effect on total cholesterol (P = .011), HDL (P = .045), and triglycerides (P = .006). LDL was not significantly impacted (P = .069). No significance differences were reported within interactions (P > .05). Conclusions Higher yogurt consumption was associated with lower BMI, blood glucose, and diastolic blood pressure, while higher fiber consumption was associated with beneficial effects on lipids. Lack of interaction between yogurt and fibers may be related to a low yogurt intake in this population. These findings may promote further research focusing on synbiosis to examine the impact of fiber when consumed conjunctively with probiotic foods. Funding Sources There was no external funding for this study.