Chocolate, cheese and yogurt linked to longer life in detailed study of 3 million people

A new large-scale study suggests that yogurt, cheese and even chocolate could help people live longer.

The analysis found that certain fermented and fermentation-derived foods may be associated with a lower risk of death, according to a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition.

Researchers analyzed data from 50 studies involving more than 3 million people to examine how these foods — made using beneficial microbes like bacteria or yeast — are linked to overall mortality risk, as well as deaths from heart disease and cancer.

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"Higher consumption of chocolate, cheese and fermented milks (including yogurt) was associated with lower all-cause and CVD mortality," the researchers wrote in their paper.

While cheese intake was linked to a slight reduction in all-cause mortality, associations with heart disease and cancer deaths were less consistent, they noted.

Chocolate, which is derived from fermented cacao beans, was also associated with a lower risk of both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, the researchers reported.

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But not all foods in the fermented category showed the same results. 

Items like miso, a fermented soybean paste, and fermented bread, such as sourdough, did not show consistent links to reduced mortality.

The potential benefits seen in foods like yogurt and fermented milk may be tied to their impact on gut health, as these foods can contain beneficial bacteria and compounds that influence inflammation, metabolism and immune function, the study noted.

Chocolate's potential effects could be linked to cocoa's polyphenols — plant compounds that may support heart health by improving blood vessel function and reducing oxidative stress.

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"Fermentation is one of the oldest food processing methods and remains central to human diets worldwide," the researchers said.

Besides helping to preserve food, fermentation produces compounds and byproducts that can benefit health, connecting fermented foods to possible long-term protection against disease and death, they noted.

They said their work was the first meta-analysis to take a comprehensive look at how fermented food consumption is linked to mortality.

But choosing the right kinds of fermented foods matters, experts say.

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"For the most beneficial fermented foods, look for foods that contain 'live active cultures' that are refrigerated," said Robin DeCicco, a New York-based certified holistic nutritionist who was not involved in the study. "These are usually better than foods that are heavily processed and shelf-stable."

She noted that options like yogurt and kefir are typically refrigerated and offer a wide range of probiotic cultures. 

Other good choices include tempeh, refrigerated pickles, sauerkraut and kimchi, DeCicco said, though she cautioned that some fermented foods are high in sodium and may not be suitable for those with high blood pressure.

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"Many yogurts, kefirs and kombucha brands use added sugar, making the seemingly 'health food' a very high-sugar food — defeating the whole purpose," DeCicco added.

The researchers also emphasized that the findings are based on observational data, meaning they can show links but not cause and effect.

Dietary patterns, lifestyle factors and overall health behaviors may also play a role in the observed outcomes, even when studies attempt to adjust for these variables.

The analysis also found variation across studies, likely due to differences in populations, dietary habits and how foods were processed or consumed.

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The researchers noted that more rigorous studies, including clinical trials, are needed to better understand whether these foods directly contribute to longer life.

Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.