NEW YORK: Contrary to current perception, eating dairy food -- specifically low-fat milk food -- reduces the chance of developing type 2 diabetes, a study has revealed.
A team from Massachusetts General Hospital, the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, led by Dr Hyon K. Choi, analyzed data from 41,254 men as part of a Health Professionals Follow-up Study for 12 years and concluded that men with the highest intake of dairy foods were 23 per cent less likely to develop diabetes than those with the lowest intake. All those who participated in the experiment were free from diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
The report has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. It said further studies would be required to assess the impact on women.
The team interpreted its findings in another way -- that each serving per-day rise in total dairy intake was linked with a 9 per cent reduction in diabetes risk.
However, the benefits accrue from intake of low-fat items only. "Our findings are most directly generalizable to men 40 years old and older with no history of type 2 diabetes," the report said.
Earlier studies in this field have indicated that low-fat dairy products, as part of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, helps to reduce high blood pressure.
The researchers believe the effect could be mainly due to the presence of whey proteins or magnesium in the dairy products, ingredients believed to enhance the action of insulin in regulating blood sugar.
Type 1 diabetes, better known as juvenile diabetes, is caused by the body's inability to produce insulin. Type 2 is a most common form, which is directly attributed to overweight, inactivity and poor diet.
The study said: "Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 16 million people in the United States and 135 million people worldwide. Because management of diabetes and its complications, such as cardiovascular disease, amputation, blindness and renal failure, imposes enormous medical and economic burdens, primary prevention has become a public health imperative. Recent studies have shown that diet and lifestyle modifications are important means of preventing type 2 diabetes."
