| We’ve
known for a while now that increased consumption of
low-fat dairy products appears to play a key role in
reducing blood pressure, possibly due to the potassium
dairy contains. And some studies have shown that the
calcium in dairy products helps people lose weight (although
the results still need to be confirmed).
Now
a breakthrough study has shown that milk can help prevent
another illness. In a study of more than 37,000 women
over 10 years, researchers found that women who drink
milk have a significantly lower risk of developing type
2 diabetes later in life.
After
adjusting for factors that normally are linked to increased
risk for diabetes, including weight gain, amount of
exercise, and family history, the researchers found
that those subjects with the highest intake of low-fat
dairy foods were 21 percent less likely to develop type
2 diabetes than those who consumed the least amount
of dairy products.
They
also found that each additional serving of dairy was
associated with a 4 percent lower risk of developing
type 2 diabetes.
Researchers
aren’t really sure why dairy seems to reduce the
risk for diabetes; they speculate it might be because
dairy reduces the odds of developing insulin resistance,
which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. They say the
benefit was independent of calcium and vitamin D. That
means you can’t just take calcium pills and get
the same benefit. More research needs to be done to
confirm the results.
In
the meantime, the recommendation for both men and women
is to include two to three servings of dairy per day
in your diet. |