Got Milk, Indeed!

According to an article in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, men who drank a pint of milk a day were 60% less likely to develop the metabolic syndrome. The Caerphilly Cohort Study was done in Cardiff, UK. It included 2375 men aged 45 to 59 at baseline in 1979-1983, who were examined at 5-year intervals for 20 years. The metabolic syndrome was defined slightly differently from the usual definition, but not to an extent as to invalidate the findings. Two of the following were required for diagnosis:

• A raised plasma insulin and/or a fasting plasma glucose above 110 mg/dL
• BMI of 30 or less
• HDL-cholesterol below 35 mg/dL and/or triglycerides above 288 mg/dL
• Blood pressure above 166/104 mm Hg.

Although the frequency of metabolic syndrome was reduced, there was no change in the occurrence of diabetes. However, Tufts researchers have just reported that dairy-rich diets, with high calcium and vitamin D intake values, were linked to a 30% reduction in the risk of the metabolic syndrome and a 15% reduction in the risk of diabetes. So, maybe there’s something in this “More Dairy!” cry, even though the FTC has ruled that health claims for dairy products are not supported by scientific evidence. . .