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Drinking more whole milk clobbers ‘cluster’ of cardio threats
Both diabetes and high blood pressure significantly increase your risk of dying from both heart attack and stroke — with diabetes alone nearly doubling that risk.
Now, research has found that simply adding more dairy to your diet could be the key to avoiding both conditions, especially if you go full fat.
Surprised? I was too. But here’s the skinny on why you should embrace dairy…
The cluster that raises heart disease risk
A large international study published online in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care compared dairy intake to the risks of developing metabolic syndrome — a cluster of factors that includes diabetes and high blood pressure and raises your odds of ending up with cardiovascular disease. Other factors that lead to metabolic syndrome include:
- Large waist size
- High triglycerides
- Low HDL (good) cholesterol
The team of researchers tracked the health of nearly 190,000 participants from 21 different countries for an average of nine years. They also assessed their usual dietary intake over the previous 12 months by using food frequency questionnaires.
The dairy products they looked at included milk, yogurt, yogurt drinks, cheese and dishes prepared with dairy products. And the scientists split dairy intake into full versus low-fat.
Here’s what it came down to…
Total dairy and full-fat dairy, but not low-fat dairy alone, were associated with a lower incidence of almost all components of metabolic syndrome.
In fact, people who consumed at least two servings a day of total dairy were found to have a 24 percent lower risk of metabolic syndrome compared to those who skipped dairy altogether. And the results were even better for participants who went full fat — proving they benefited from a whopping 28 percent reduced risk of metabolic syndrome that could lead to heart disease and eventual death.
When the researchers broke down the data to delve into high blood pressure and diabetes, they found that the good news continued to add up.
The discovered that at least two servings a day of total dairy were associated with an 11-12 percent lower risk of both conditions, rising to a 13-14 percent lower risk for people who went for three daily servings.
Once again, those associations were stronger for full fat than they were for low-fat dairy.
In other words, if you want to lower your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome all in one fell swoop, add more dairy to your day — and don’t skip out on the fat!
More proof that dairy is a healthy choice
And this study isn’t the first time research has shown that dairy brings some big health benefits.
A study from researchers at McMaster University in Canada found that the more dairy you drink (especially full fat), the lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
Research out of Ireland even found that eating more cheese resulted in better blood pressure while dairy products, in general, led to lower body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio.
So, if you want to live heart and blood sugar healthy and even get in better shape, the dairy aisle at your local grocery store is a great place to start.
Editor’s note: There are perfectly safe and natural ways to decrease your risk of blood clots including the 25-cent vitamin, the nutrient that acts as a natural blood thinner and the powerful herb that helps clear plaque. To discover these and other secrets of long-lived hearts, click here for Hushed Up Natural Heart Cures and Common Misconceptions of Popular Heart Treatments!
Sources:
- Dairy-rich diet linked to lower risks of diabetes and high blood pressure — EurekAlert!
- Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Understand Your Risks to Prevent a Heart Attack — American Heart Association