Dairy has been getting a pretty bad rap lately, but several studies conducted in 2011 show that dairy actually has a lot of healthful benefits and healing properties. The evidence is overwhelming that adding more dairy to your diet is a smart idea.
In the United States, researchers discovered that milk provides the body with necessary nutrients but does not negatively affect body weight in adolescents and children. An Australian study also found this to be true in adults as well.
Canadian researchers studied women consuming two or more dairy servings a day. They found that these women had smaller visceral fat cells than women who did not consume as much dairy products. Another study of premenopausal women showed that fat free and low fat dairy may contribute to lower body fat percentages.
In Japan, researchers discovered that people who included some form of milk protein in their breakfast actually experienced about a 15% reduction in deep abdominal fat. In that same study, a breakfast rich in soy protein did not show any change in body fat.
Researchers in France found that a diet rich in dairy products and calcium contributes to a decreased chance of developing or experiencing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and high blood sugar.
Australian researchers concluded that consuming low fat dairy products may actually lower your risk for hypertension. Additionally, milk has been associated with lowering a person’s risk of high blood pressure no matter the fat content.
A Swedish study of more than 15,000 women on high fat dairy diets that included regular milk and yogurt found a marked reduction in breast cancer risk.
A Costa Rican study concluded that in 3,000 adults, increased heart attack risk was not associated with dairy consumption. Researchers in Sweden found that a high dairy diet may actually lower a person’s risk for heart attack.
A group of Danish researchers found that cheese consumption is not a contributing factor in increased LDL cholesterol as well as total cholesterol in the body.
The evidence is overwhelming; dairy is good for you.