Health effects of yogurt consumption during paediatric age: a narrative review

Abstract

Yogurt is a fermented milk product characterised by a peculiar nutritional composition with live and viable cultures of bacteria. Few studies have analysed the benefits of yogurt consumption on health outcomes during paediatric age. Recent epidemiological studies evaluating the nutritional impact of yogurt have demonstrated its significant contribution to nutrients intakes among children. Thus, consuming yogurt is a strategy to achieve recommended nutrient intake and healthier dietary choices, with potential impact on obesity and cardiometabolic outcome in children. Yogurt’s effects on paediatric infectious diseases, gastrointestinal diseases and atopic-related disorders are ascribed to the specific probiotic strain administered. Interestingly, the benefits of yogurt consumption are most likely due to effects mediated through the gut microbiota and the enhancement of innate and adaptive immune responses. Therefore, supplementing standard yogurt cultures with probiotic strains could be useful to promote health at different paediatric ages, although more evidence is needed regarding the strain-related effects and their interplay within the paediatric immune system.

Keywords:

• Yogurt
• nutritional composition
• cardio-metabolic profile
• probiotic strain
• atopic disorders
• paediatric infectious diseases
• gut microbiota modulation
• immune system

Disclosure statement

the authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

Fondazione Istituto Danone supported, with an unconditional contribution, the editorial work that led to the drafting of this article.