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Natural Awakenings Richmond

Fermented Dairy Helps Sidestep Depression

Jars of fermented dairy with toppings and fork and spoon

Nuruddin Bharmal/Pexels.com

Sales of fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir have been steadily rising in the U.S., and a new study from Australia’s Deakin University might accelerate that trend. Researchers examined 24 years of nutritional and health data from 2,603 Finnish men between 42 and 60 years old. They found that men that ranked in the top third of consumption of non-fermented dairy products such as milk and cream had double the risk of depression, while those in the top third of consumption of fermented dairy products like kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream and buttermilk enjoyed a 45 percent reduced risk of depression.