Eat yogurt to stave off periodontal disease

Yogurt is a tasty way to help reduce the risk of periodontal disease, says a recent report from the Journal of Periodontology.

According to the study eating as little as a half a cup of yogurt (about 55g) per day is enough to reduce your chances of getting this disease -- a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bones supporting the teeth -- by almost 50 percent, thanks in large part to a probiotic found in most fermented milk products.

Popular health website RealAge.com considers the following brands to be among the healthiest yogurt choices: Dannon Light & Fit (regular, Carb Control, and Creamy), Stonyfield Farm MOOve Over Sugar, and Yoplait Light.