Effects of Dietary Yogurt: Changes in Blood Components on Healthy Men Smokers

Abstract

Smoking is associated with increased inflammation and is a risk factor for a range of diseases. Conversely, yogurt has beneficial effects on health. This study examined the effects of yogurt consumption on the hematological parameters and fibrinogen levels in smokers. The participants were categorized into four groups. Non-smokers were assigned to the control and yogurt groups while smokers were assigned to the smoking and combined (yogurt plus smoking) groups. The participants consumed yogurt, and either smoked or did not smoke for three weeks. The changes in hematological parameters and fibrinogen levels were examined. In the combined group, the proportion of neutrophils and fibrinogen levels increased significantly, whereas the lymphocyte proportion decreased. The eosinophil proportion increased significantly in the Smoking group, but no change was observed in the combined group. In addition, the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration increased in the smoking and combined groups, indicating that smoking may affect the lifespan of red blood cells. In conclusion, this study showed that yogurt consumption might influence the immune function by modulating the levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and fibrinogen in smokers. Furthermore, the absence of any increase in the eosinophil proportion in the combined group, unlike in the smoking group, suggests that yogurt consumption may have an inhibitory effect on allergic reactions.

Keywords

• fibrinogen
• immune
• smoker
• white blood cells
• yogurt