A new paper in Nature Communications has shed light on the mechanisms that may link yogurt consumption to a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes. Through studies on a mouse model of obesity-related type 2 diabetes, researchers found that mice fed a yogurt-heavy diet had better insulin sensitivity and preserved glucose homeostasis, setting them apart from mice on a similar diet that lacked yogurt. The investigators determined that the yogurt-consuming mice had healthier livers than those other mice. Notably, their livers showed less fat buildup, or steatosis, which is common in people with type 2 diabetes. The team’s most striking and original finding, however, concerned three liver metabolites belonging to a class known as branched chain hydroxy acids (BCHAs). “[BCHAs] result from the action of yogurt lactic bacteria on naturally occurring amino acids in milk,” said co-lead author André Marette, who serves as a professor at Université Laval’s Faculty of …