Eating just two slices of cheese a day can cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 12 per cent, researchers say.

The findings go against current health guidelines, which advise cutting back on dairy products and other high-fat foods to help prevent the illness.

British and Dutch researchers looked at the diets of 16,800 healthy adults and 12,400 patients with type 2 diabetes from eight European countries, including the UK.

The study found that those who ate at least 55g of cheese a day – around two slices – were 12 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The risk fell by the same amount for those who ate 55g of yoghurt a day.

But despite the latest findings, campaigners warned against gorging on cheese and other dairy products in the hope of warding off diabetes.

“It is too simplistic to concentrate on individual foods,” the Daily Mail quoted Dr Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, as saying.

“We recommend a healthy balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables and low in salt and fat.

“This study gives us no reason to believe that people should change their dairy intake in an attempt to avoid the condition,” he added.

BDST: 1129 HRS, Nov-10, 2013
SIS/BSK