Introduction to the Second Global Summit on the Health Effects of Yogurt.

The purpose of the Second Global Summit on the Health Effects of Yogurt was to review and evaluate the strength of current scientific knowledge regarding the health benefits of yogurt. To begin, the historical and current patterns of yogurt consumption were reviewed. Then, the evidence base for the benefits of yogurt for maintaining health throughout the life cycle, including optimal body composition, and for reducing the incidence of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease was presented. Speakers also discussed the emerging evidence for a link between gut microbiota and health, with a focus on the gut–brain axis and early programming. To conclude, the role of dairy products in a sustainable diet was presented, taking into account both nutritional and environmental factors. On 30 April 2014, the Second Global Summit on the Health Effects of Yogurt was held as a satellite symposium to the 2014 Experimental Biology meeting. The symposium followed the successful First Global Summit that was held in Boston, Mass., in April 2013, organized by the Yogurt in Nutrition Initiative, which was established in 2012. As stated in the proceedings of that meeting, “the overall mission of the Yogurt in Nutrition Initiative is to advance scientific knowledge on the health benefits of yogurt and to broadly disseminate that information.” Indeed, the first and second global summits were constructed to identify and review the existing science on the health benefits of yogurt and to disseminate this knowledge. At the 2014 summit, Dr. Fisberg reviewed the history of yogurt and reminded the audience that yogurt has been a part of the human diet for thousands of years and was consumed by a diverse group of nations and ethnic groups. Yogurt consumption appeared in Turkish literature in the 11 century. In fact, Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire, fed his army yogurt, a staple of the Mongolian diet, based on the belief that it instilled bravery in his warriors. Although yogurt has been a part of the diet of many cultures around the globe, it was not until the early 20 century that the bacteria used for milk fermentation were characterized. This led to the large-scale commercial production of yogurt and its increased availability and popularity. In recent years, the research base that supports the health benefits of yogurt has been building and includes clinical and epidemiological evidence, as well as mechanistic underpinnings. Dr. Moreno took the audience back to childhood, where the origin of many noncommunicable diseases can be found. A reminder was offered that obesity in children, as in adults, can result in hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic inflammation, and hyperinsulinemia and that type 2 diabetes prevalence is rapidly growing in the pediatric population. The question then arose: Can dairy product consumption reduce this risk? After the available evidence in the literature was reviewed, it was concluded that “despite concerns that energy provided by dairy products may contribute to childhood obesity, the evidence overwhelmingly supports a null or inverse association between milk or dairy product intake and indicators of adiposity.” The results of the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence study, were also reported; this was a study that investigated the relationship between dairy consumption and cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents (age range, 12.5–17.5 years) in Europe. This study showed that, overall, dairy intake was the factor