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