(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Everyone knows milk helps build
strong bones. Now researchers suggest it may ward off diabetes as well.
A new study out of Tufts University in Boston reveals people who consume three
to five servings of milk or milk products a day are about 15-percent less likely
to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as those who consume less than one and a
half servings.
The researchers attribute much of the benefit to the combination of vitamin D
and calcium, two key ingredients in milk. They report these milk components may
help prevent type 2 diabetes by impacting the body's ability to produce or use
insulin. Insulin, which is needed to break down sugar, is impaired in people
with the condition.
The study is based on a meta-analysis of previous studies conducted on diabetes,
vitamin D, calcium and dairy products.
The authors note diabetes is a growing problem in the United States and around
the world, with more than 1 million new cases diagnosed each year in this
country alone. The condition is the fifth leading cause of death in the United
States.
"The results of future studies will define the clinical role of vitamin D and
calcium as potential interventions for prevention and management of type 2
[diabetes], which will have significant public health implications because
vitamin D and calcium insufficiency is common in U.S. adults, and both
interventions can be implemented easily and inexpensively in clinical practice,"
write the authors.
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2007;92:2017-2029
