Allies Against Metabolic Syndrome
Research shows that a healthy diet that includes milk products may play a role in preventing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Metabolic syndrome is defined as a combination of interrelated symptoms (e.g., abdominal obesity, hypertension, hypercholesteremia) that substantially increases the risk for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It affects approximately one quarter of the adult population in the Western world.
The role of milk products in the prevention of metabolic syndrome
Although a lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise is very important in managing this condition, the impact of specific foods on its development is not well understood. However, emerging evidence has indicated that adequate or higher intakes of milk products may play a protective role against metabolic syndrome.1-6
For example, according to the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study,4 a 10-year study of 3,157 adults, the individuals who consumed the highest number of servings of milk products (≥ 5 servings/day), regardless of fat content, had a significant 72% reduced risk of developing metabolic syndrome than those who consumed the lowest number of servings (< 1.5 servings/day).
Further studies are nevertheless required to clearly identify the mechanisms by which milk products may confer a protective effect against metabolic syndrome. That being said, several components or aspects of milk products may be responsible for this beneficial role, such as their low glycemic index* and their content in certain nutrients such as protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin D.
* The glycemic index is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich food based on the degree to which they increase blood glucose levels in comparison to a reference food, such as glucose or white bread.
Sources
1. Hirschler V et al. Inverse association between insulin resistance and frequency of milk consumption in low-income Argentinean school children. J Pediatr 2009;154:101-105.
2. Elwood PC et al. Milk and dairy consumption, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome: the Caerphilly prospective study. J Epidemiol Community Health 2007;61:695-698.
3. Azadbakht L et al. Dairy consumption is inversely associated with the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Tehranian adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;82:523-530.
4. Pereira MA et al. Dairy consumption, obesity, and the insulin resistance syndrome in young adults: the CARDIA Study. JAMA 2002;287:2081-2089.
5. Mennen L et al. Possible protective effect of bread and dairy products on the risk of the metabolic syndrome. Nutr Res 2000;20:335-347.
6. Snijder MB et al. Is higher dairy consumption associated with lower body weight and fewer metabolic disturbances? The Hoorn Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:989-995.
