The combined effects of yogurt and exercise in healthy adults: Implications for biomarkers of depression and cardiovascular diseases

Several studies have reported individual benefits of yogurt and exercise on health; however, their combined effects remain unclear. Twenty‐four healthy individuals participated in the study and were randomly assigned to the following four groups: control, yogurt, exercise, and combination. The participants consumed yogurt and exercised for 2 weeks, and we examined the combined effects of yogurt and exercise on physiological biomarkers. Individually, yogurt and exercise did not exert a significant effect on biomarkers of depression or cardiovascular disease, although vitamin D levels increased in the exercise group. However, in the combination group, serotonin levels increased, while levels of triglycerides and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, which are biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases, decreased. In conclusion, the results of the study showed that, in healthy individuals, a combination of yogurt and exercise led to greater increases in serotonin levels and reductions in triglyceride and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein levels, relative to those observed for yogurt or exercise alone; therefore, this combination could have implications for the prevention of depression and cardiovascular disease.