Dairy intake may lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in men

Like much of the medical advice originally received from your mother, drinking your milk on a regular basis yields more complex outcomes than originally anticipated.

In the May 9 2005 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, a research team on Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, published very interesting observations related to benefits of milk and dairy products.

The investigators prospectively examined the relationship between dairy intake and incident cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in 41,254 male participants with no history of DM, cardiovascular disease, and cancer when enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

The surprising conclusion is men who have a high dairy intake have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). "Dietary patterns characterized by higher dairy intake, especially low-fat dairy intake, may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in men," the study authors write.

According to study findings, an increase of 1 serving of low fat dairy product per day is associated with a 9% reduced risk of developing DM in middle-aged men.

In the same publication, Janet C. King, PhD, from Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California, notes that milk contains amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and additional bioactive components and calls this study "a further reminder of the potential importance of dairy intake and the continuing value of research in this area."

Higher dairy intake may also decrease the risk of colon cancer, coronary artery disease, and stroke. It may also improve control of hypertension but has been demonstrated to increase the risk of prostate cancer.







NOTE: The Information on this site is provided for information only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional.



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