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Health & Nutrition News Alert

July - September 2006 (Vol. 10 No. 3)

Dairy Foods May Keep Blood Pressure in Check
If you’re looking to lower blood pressure, dairy foods should be part of your plan, according to two recent studies looking at the relationship between dairy and/or calcium intake and blood pressure. In a study of 912 French men aged 45 to 64 years participating in the MONICA population survey of cardiovascular risk factor, three-day food records and blood pressure measurements revealed that those with the highest dairy intake had significantly lower systolic blood pressure than those with the lowest intake after adjusting for various lifestyle factors.   Results were similar when calcium intake was examined and most significant when intakes of both calcium and dairy were high.  The authors concluded that dairy food and calcium intakes are both significantly and independently related to reduced systolic blood pressure and that bioactive components in dairy foods may have contributed to this finding.  A second study looking of 4,797 participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study similarly found that higher dairy consumption was associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure, specifically systolic blood pressure.  Study participants who consumed three or more servings of dairy foods a day had significantly lower systolic blood pressure than those who consumed less than half a serving a day.  This finding was independent of calcium intake and was strongest for people consuming less saturated fat, which led the researchers to suggest that consuming low-fat dairy foods may be beneficial for reducing the risk of high blood pressure.

Ruidavets JB, et al. Independent contribution of dairy products and calcium intake to blood pressure variations at a population level. Journal of Hypertension. 2006;24:671-681.

Djousse L, et al. Influence of Saturated Fat and Linoleic Acid on the Association Between Intake of Dairy Products and Blood Pressure. Hypertension. 2006;48:342-348.

{Editor’s note: The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy, has previously been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure.  For more information on the DASH diet, visit http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/.}

{Scientific synopsis provided by Karen Giles-Smith, MS, RD, United Dairy Industry of Michigan and Sarah Hess, MS, RD, LDN, New England Dairy & Food Council}

Girls Who Ditch Dairy Miss Out on Nutrients they Need
According to Penn State researchers, many girls stop drinking milk at a young age, leading to inadequate calcium and phosphorus intakes.  The researchers studied 151 white, mainly middle class girls from Pennsylvania at ages 5, 7, 9 and 11 years. Beginning at age 7, the number of milk-drinking girls began to decline. At age 9 and 11 years girls did not meet the recommended intake of three servings of milk, yogurt or cheese each day.  Likewise, at age 9 and 11 about 70% of the girls did not meet calcium recommendations and about 40-50% of the girls did not meet phosphorus recommendations. The researchers note the importance of parental role-modeling and encouraging girls to increase and maintain their milk intake.  Making milk available at meals and snacks is a simple strategy parents can use to increase their children’s intakes of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus.

Fiorito LM, et al. Dairy and Dairy-Related Nutrient Intake During Middle Childhood. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2006;106:534-542.

{Scientific synopsis provided by Karen Giles-Smith, MS, RD, United Dairy Industry of Michigan}

Got Ulcers?  Get Yogurt         
Researchers in Taiwan have suggested that a four-week pretreatment with yogurt prior to antibiotic therapy for stomach ulcers may improve outcomes in patients for whom prior treatment has failed.  One hundred and twenty-nine patients infected with Helicobacter pylori, one of the primary causes of stomach ulcers, in whom the standard drug therapy for H. Pylori infection had failed, were treated with four medications in a regime known as quadruple therapy.  Half of the patients were assigned to eat approximately 14 ounces of yogurt containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium cultures each day for four weeks prior to beginning the drug therapy, then both groups received the drug therapy for one week.  The participants pre-treated with yogurt not only had a significantly higher rate of H. pylori eradication, but also suffered fewer side effects from the therapy compared to the quadruple therapy-only group.

Sheu, BS, et al. Pretreatment with Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium- containing yogurt can improve the efficacy of quadruple therapy in eradicating residual Helicobacter pylori infection after failed triple therapy.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006;83:864-869.

{Scientific synopsis provided by Katie Hoffmann, MS, RD, Maine Dairy & Nutrition Council}

Dairy Defends Against Diabetes
Eating dairy foods, especially low-fat varieties, may help protect women from developing type 2 diabetes.  Researchers looked at detailed diet information from more than 37,000 women participating in the Women’s Health Study and found that those with the highest dairy intake (approximately 3 or more servings/day) had a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest intake (less than one serving per day) after adjusting for other diet and lifestyle factors.  In fact, each additional serving of dairy a day was associated with a 4% decrease in risk.  Although the exact mechanism behind this association is not known, the authors note that dairy has many components, including milk proteins, magnesium, calcium and others, that may play a role.  The bottom line is that a dietary pattern containing more low-fat dairy foods may help middle-aged and older women avoid type 2 diabetes.

Liu S, et al. A Prospective Study of Dairy Intake and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women. Diabetes Care. 2006;29:1579-15984.

{Scientific synopsis provided by Sarah Hess, MS, RD, LDN, New England Dairy & Food Council}

Magnesium May Minimize Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
The mineral magnesium, which appears to play a key role in blood sugar metabolism, may help keep hearts healthy by reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, a combination of factors that increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  The prospective study examined the relationship between magnesium intake and the incidence of metabolic syndrome and each of its components over 15 years of follow-up of 4,637 young adults, ages 18-30 years, in the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study.  Results showed that those with the highest magnesium intakes from foods were 31% less likely to develop metabolic syndrome than those with the lowest magnesium intakes, after adjustment for other dietary and lifestyle factors.  Higher magnesium intakes were also favorably associated with individual components of metabolic syndrome, including fasting blood sugar, waist size, and HDL (good) cholesterol.

He K, et al. Magnesium Intake and Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome Among Young Adults. Circulation. 2006;113:1675-1682.

(Editors note: According to data from the Agricultural Research Service Community Nutrition Research Group, only about 32% of the U.S. population met the recommended daily intake for magnesium.  One cup of fat-free yogurt provides approximately 20% of the daily value for magnesium.  Other good sources include whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables.)

{Scientific synopsis provided by Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, LDN, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association}

FAST FACT

FDA Report Calls on Restaurants to Provide Healthier Menus
With more families eating meals away from home, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a report making recommendations for the restaurant industry to help reduce the rising tide of obesity. Key report recommendations make dairy part of the solution and include:

• Increased promotion of the food groups encouraged by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

• Increased availability of low-fat and fat-free milk on restaurant menus, especially with kids meals in appealing packaging, such as contemporary, single-serve, 8-ounce plastic bottles

• Easy consumer access to nutrition information for menu items

When away from home, families can follow these new recommendations by choosing healthier beverage options, like low-fat milk at restaurants and yogurt cups for on-the-go snacking!

The Keystone Forum on Away-From-Home Foods: Opportunities for Preventing Weight Gain and Obesity.  2006

{Scientific synopsis provided by Katie Hoffmann, MS, RD, Maine Dairy & Nutrition Council}

Fact Sheet: Dairy’s Role in Bone Health
One of the most important reasons to consume three servings of dairy – milk, cheese, and yogurt – each day is to help build and maintain strong bones. The attached fact sheet, Dairy’s Role in Bone Health, provides information about the important role dairy plays in developing healthy bones at all ages.

Nutrition & Health News Alerts are co-edited by Melissa Hooper, MS, RD, LD, Midwest Dairy Association, and Sarah Hess, MS, RD, LDN, New England Dairy & Food Council

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You can rely on the National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council of (ADA/DC) Nebraska for credible, up-to-date news on dairy nutrition research, public policies on nutritional issues and special dairy nutrition campaigns. Please browse the Nutrition/Health Research tab for more information. If you need addition information or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Director of Nutrition Education Jennifer Meyer at (402) 592-3355 or toll free at (888) NEB-MILK.