Eating yogurt regularly may reduce the long-term risk for a certain type of colon cancer, according to researchers at Mass General Brigham.

Yogurt is not only just part of a delicious breakfast. A new study led by Mass General Brigham researchers found it may also have protective benefits against a certain type of aggressive colon cancer.

Mass General Brigham researchers have found that eating yogurt over time can help protect against colon cancer: ‘The connection between diet, the gut microbiome, and risk of colorectal

The study released Wednesday found that people who ate two or more servings of yogurt per week tended to have lower rates of a particularly aggressive form of colorectal cancer. "

The researchers found that having at least two servings of yogurt a week was helpful. A serving of yogurt is 6 ounces, so having at least 12 ounces of yogurt on a weekly basis may help lower your colorectal cancer risk. Also of note: "Plain yogurt is better than sweetened yogurt," says Dr. Ugai.

Humans have been eating yogurt for millennia. Ancient texts reference its health-promoting properties. Now a new study finds yogurt may reduce the risk of certain types of colon cancer.

Their findings? Those who ate more yogurt had a 20% lower risk of colon cancer if their tumors contained Bifidobacterium. What's more, this effect was much more noticeable in cancers that started in the proximal colon (or the first part of the large intestine).

Regular yogurt intake may lower the risk of Bifidobacterium-positive colorectal cancer, particularly in the proximal colon, but does not reduce the risk of Bifidobacterium-negative tumors. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and understand yogurt’s role in gut health and cancer prevention.