A new clinical trial published in the journal Aging suggests that eating plain yogurt daily, alongside modest dietary changes and light exercise, may slow the body's biological rate of ageing. The findings matter because they point to a simple, accessible lifestyle routine that could yield anti-ageing benefits comparable to far more demanding interventions, such as steep calorie restriction.

The study followed 48 overweight men in Japan, aged between 50 and 74, over a 12-week period. Half followed a structured routine that involved eating 100 grams of plain yogurt each day, receiving dietary counselling to curb overeating and sugary drinks, and walking or using a stepper for around 30 minutes at least three days a week; the others kept their usual habits. Using a DNA-based tool called DunedinPACE to measure cellular ageing, researchers found the intervention group's pace of ageing slowed by roughly 2.2%, independent of weight loss. They cautioned that the benefit could not be attributed to any single element of the routine, and also noted an improvement in a DNA marker linked to kidney function.