New research suggests that yogurt could be a healthy fridge staple, along with water and orange juice.

Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health found that consuming a high intake of yogurt may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They found that just one 28g serving of yogurt per day was associated with an 18 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin, or the body's cells develop resistance to insulin. There is an increased risk of developing it if a relative has the condition or if an individual has an unhealthy lifestyle. Approximately 366 million people are affected by type 2 diabetes worldwide and it is estimated this will increase to 552 million people by 2030, which puts pressure on global healthcare systems.

"We found that higher intake of yogurt is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas other dairy foods and consumption of total dairy did not show this association," Frank Hu, senior researcher of the study, said in a statement. "The consistent findings for yogurt suggest that it can be incorporated into a healthy dietary pattern."

For the study, researchers pooled the results of three prospective cohort studies that followed the medical history and lifestyle habits of health professionals.  At the beginning of each cohort study, participants completed a questionnaire to gather baseline information on lifestyle and occurrence of chronic disease. Participants were then followed up every two years with a follow-up rate of more than 90 per cent. Participants were excluded if they had diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline. People were also excluded if they did not include any information about dairy consumption.

Within the three cohorts 15,156 cases of type 2 diabetes were identified during the follow-up period. The researchers found that the total dairy consumption had no association with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They then looked at consumption of individual dairy products, such as skimmed milk, cheese, whole milk and yogurt. When adjusting for chronic disease risk factors such as age and BMI as well as dietary factors, it was found that high consumption of yogurt was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The findings are detailed in the open access journal BMC Medicine.