September 21/Minneapolis/PressMediaWire.com -- A study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who ate at least 100g of yogurt every day had significantly less plaque build-up on the walls of their carotid arteries -- the blood vessels that supply the brain with oxygen. Carotid artery plaque is one of the leading risk factors for stroke and heart disease.

"Every year, nearly 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke -- and nearly 150,000 die of it," says Voskos Greek Yogurt spokeswoman and registered dietitian Susan Randolph. "Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. The good news is that regular consumption of yogurt may help dramatically reduce one of the leading risk factors for stroke."

As reported in the Toronto Globe and Mail, eating 4-8oz of yogurt daily was associated with both lower carotid artery thickness and higher HDL (good) cholesterol levels in study participants. "In fact, the women who ate a cup of yogurt every day had significantly better test results," said Randolph.