May 19, 2005 – A study conducted in Quebec indicates that, not only are dairy products not associated with cardiovascular disease in men, but that they even reduce the incidence by a proportion of 28%, in men at risk .
These are the preliminary results from the Quebec Cardiovascular Study, presented at the congress of the Quebec Society of Lipidology, Nutrition and Metabolism, which took place at the end of April in Quebec City.
This study involves a cohort of 1,967 men for whom the consumption of dairy products was quantified over a period of 13 years. The goal of the researchers was to verify the suspected existence of a link between the increased risk of ischemic heart disease, such as heart attack, and the consumption of dairy products, especially in men with metabolic syndrome.
The researchers found that the dairy products the subjects consumed the most were cheeses (46%), 2% milk (35%), whole milk (12%) and yogurts (5%). The median consumption was 1.2 servings per day. Analysis of the data revealed that those who consumed more than 1.2 servings of dairy products per day had lower systolic blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels than those who ate less. Likewise, their risk of developing ischemic heart disease was reduced by more than a quarter (28%).
The data also indicate that these results are independent of the type of dairy products consumed – low in fat or not. In addition, the risk reduction was found to be greater in men at risk for cardiovascular disease than in healthy men.
According to Benoît Lamarche, director at the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, and author of the study, even if the cause and effect link seems difficult to identify, “it seems plausible that the minerals in milk – calcium, magnesium and potassium – contributed to the reduction in blood pressure observed in those who ate the most dairy products ”.
Daily consumption of dairy products therefore appears to be associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, but the researcher recalls that “dairy products, when they are high in fat, can nevertheless contribute to the increase of other risks, including ‘obesity’.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
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