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New JAMA Study Shows Milk, Cheese and Yogurt May Help Prevent insulin resistance , oobesity, Type-2 Diabetes and Heart Disease
Sacramento, CA - A new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that young adults who consume more dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, may be less likely to become obese and develop the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS), a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These findings are consistent with a growing body of research that demonstrates dairy’s role in reducing the risk of obesity and other chronic diseases.
The multi-center prospective study examined the correlation between dairy intake and IRS, a condition many Americans don’t know much about, but which may affect about one in four adults. IRS, also known as the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X, occurs when the body’s cells are resistant to the insulin produced by the pancreas - which means blood sugar is not properly controlled and the body may compensate by trying to produce even more insulin. In addition to poor blood sugar control, characteristics of IRS include obesity, high blood pressure and abnormal blood lipids.
The researchers looked at the eating patterns of 3,157 African American and Caucasian young adults, both male and female, over a 10-year period. Two comprehensive food intake reports were averaged - one taken at the start of the study and one taken seven years later - to determine participants’ habitual intake of dairy products and other foods.
The results showed that overweight individuals, regardless of race or sex, who consumed more dairy products had a lower risk of developing IRS. Researchers found that individuals in the study who consumed the most dairy products had a 71 percent lower incidence of IRS than those who consumed the fewest dairy products. All types of dairy foods, both reduced and full-fat versions, provided the benefit. In addition, those who consumed more dairy foods were more likely to have healthier eating habits overall with higher intakes of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and lower intakes of sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
“This epidemiological study from Massachusetts confirms a recent series of scientific studies that have shown that calcium is vital to the regulation of adipose and energy metabolism, and that dairy products are particularly effective in enhancing the control of energy,” says Bruce German, Ph.D., University of California, Davis. “The direct prediction of those scientific studies was that individuals who consume low calcium and in particular low dairy diets would be unable to mobilize their adipose fat stores and hence would become overweight. The study reported in JAMA indicates that indeed, humans who consume diets high in dairy products are better able to control energy metabolism and maintain optimal weight.”
“More than 20 years of epidemiological, scientific and medical research corroborate the emerging clinical evidence that dairy foods or their components may help reduce the risk some chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer,” said Roger A. Clemens, PhD., University of Southern California. “The most recent 10-year prospective CARDIA Study suggests that dairy foods or their components may also be important in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease among overweight or obese young adults.”
Source: Pereira, M.A. et al. Dairy Consumption, Obesity, and the Insulin Resistance Syndrome in Young Adults. JAMA 2002; 287: 2081-2089.
Sacramento, CA - A new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that young adults who consume more dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, may be less likely to become obese and develop the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS), a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These findings are consistent with a growing body of research that demonstrates dairy’s role in reducing the risk of obesity and other chronic diseases.
The multi-center prospective study examined the correlation between dairy intake and IRS, a condition many Americans don’t know much about, but which may affect about one in four adults. IRS, also known as the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X, occurs when the body’s cells are resistant to the insulin produced by the pancreas - which means blood sugar is not properly controlled and the body may compensate by trying to produce even more insulin. In addition to poor blood sugar control, characteristics of IRS include obesity, high blood pressure and abnormal blood lipids.
The researchers looked at the eating patterns of 3,157 African American and Caucasian young adults, both male and female, over a 10-year period. Two comprehensive food intake reports were averaged - one taken at the start of the study and one taken seven years later - to determine participants’ habitual intake of dairy products and other foods.
The results showed that overweight individuals, regardless of race or sex, who consumed more dairy products had a lower risk of developing IRS. Researchers found that individuals in the study who consumed the most dairy products had a 71 percent lower incidence of IRS than those who consumed the fewest dairy products. All types of dairy foods, both reduced and full-fat versions, provided the benefit. In addition, those who consumed more dairy foods were more likely to have healthier eating habits overall with higher intakes of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and lower intakes of sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
“This epidemiological study from Massachusetts confirms a recent series of scientific studies that have shown that calcium is vital to the regulation of adipose and energy metabolism, and that dairy products are particularly effective in enhancing the control of energy,” says Bruce German, Ph.D., University of California, Davis. “The direct prediction of those scientific studies was that individuals who consume low calcium and in particular low dairy diets would be unable to mobilize their adipose fat stores and hence would become overweight. The study reported in JAMA indicates that indeed, humans who consume diets high in dairy products are better able to control energy metabolism and maintain optimal weight.”
“More than 20 years of epidemiological, scientific and medical research corroborate the emerging clinical evidence that dairy foods or their components may help reduce the risk some chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer,” said Roger A. Clemens, PhD., University of Southern California. “The most recent 10-year prospective CARDIA Study suggests that dairy foods or their components may also be important in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease among overweight or obese young adults.”
Source: Pereira, M.A. et al. Dairy Consumption, Obesity, and the Insulin Resistance Syndrome in Young Adults. JAMA 2002; 287: 2081-2089.
