Total Dairy Consumption Research Articles

Dairy Food Consumption Is Associated With Reduced Risk of Heart Disease Mortality, but Not All-Cause and Cancer Mortality in US Adults

ObjectivesPrevious evidence has linked animal protein intake, including dairy foods, with an increased risk in mortality from all-causes and certain chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. The objective of the current analysis was to examine associations between total dairy consumption with mortality from all-causes, cancer, and heart disease. MethodsData for adults (≥19 y; N = 54,830) from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and NHANES 1999–2014 were linked with mortality data through 2015. Individual usual intake for dairy foods were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. Hazard ratio (HR) models were fit for mortality types (all cause, cancer, heart disease) and measures of dairy intake. Multivariable analysis further adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, waist circumference, smoking status, education level, chronic condition status (i.e., based on cancer, myocardial infarct, and diabetes/diabetes medication reported), weight loss attempts, and %kcal from animal protein. ResultsNo associations were seen between dairy food intake and mortality risk from all-causes [HR = 0.97; confidence intervals (CI): 0.81–1.16; P = 0.67], and cancer [HR = 0.95; CI: 0.70–1.29; P = 0.65] when comparing the lowest quartile to the highest quartile of consumption. Dairy food consumption was associated with a 26% reduced risk for heart disease mortality when comparing the lowest quartile to the highest quartile [HR = 0.74; CI: 0.49–1.11; P = 0.05]. Further analyses in different age groups showed that dairy food consumption was associated with 39% and 31% reduced risk for heart disease mortality in older adults 51–70 and ≥ 51 y, respectively [adults 51–70 y: HR = 0.61; CI: 0.37–1.03; P = 0.01; adults ≥ 51 y: HR = 0.69; CI: 0.50–0.96; P = 0.004]. No associations were seen between total milk intake and mortality risk from all-causes [HR = 1.04; confidence intervals (CI): 0.90–1.20; P = 0.51], cancer [HR = 0.99; CI: 0.72–1.36; P = 0.95] and heart disease [HR = 0.85; CI: 0.61–1.19; P = 0.21] when comparing the lowest quartile to the highest quartile of consumption. ConclusionsThese results contradict previous findings that have linked dairy foods to increased mortality risk. Further, dairy foods as part of a healthy dietary pattern, may help lower heart disease mortality risk. Funding SourcesSupported by National Dairy Council.

Dairy Consumption and Risk of Cancer: An 11 Year Prospective Cohort Study of the China Kadoorie Biobank

ObjectivesConsumption of dairy products has been associated with possible higher or lower risks of some types of cancer. However, results are often inconsistent and evidence from China, particularly for prospective data, is very limited. We therefore investigated the associations between intake of dairy products and incidence of 17 common cancers in Chinese adults. MethodsThe prospective China Kadoorie Biobank study recruited slightly over 0.5 million adults, aged 30–79 years, from ten diverse regions (five urban and five rural) in China during 2004–2008. Information on the consumption frequency of major food groups, including total dairy products, was collected at baseline and periodic resurveys, using a validated interviewer-administered laptop-based questionnaire. Over a mean follow-up of 10.8 years, 29,177 incident malignant cancer cases were recorded among the 510,146 study participants, who did not have a prior history of cancer at baseline. Cox regression analyses were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for incident cancers associated with dairy intake. Analyses were stratified by age-at-risk, sex and region, and adjusted for cancer family history, education, income, alcohol intake, smoking status, physical activity, fresh fruit intake and BMI. Analyses for liver cancer was additionally adjusted for status of hepatitis B surface antigen. ResultsOverall at baseline, 68.5% of participants reported never or rare dairy consumption and 20.4% reported weekly dairy consumption (≥1 day/week), with milk accounting largely for the total dairy consumption. The multivariable-adjusted HRs per 50 g/day increase in usual dairy consumption were 1.07 (95% CI 1.04–1.10), 1.12 (1.02–1.22), 1.19 (1.01–1.41) and 1.17 (1.07–1.29) for total cancer, liver cancer, lymphoma and female breast cancer, respectively. These associations were similar across subgroups defined by baseline sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics (e.g., sex and smoking status) and across the ten survey regions. No significant associations were observed between dairy intake and risk of the other 14 common cancer sites. ConclusionsIn this large study of Chinese adults, higher consumption of dairy products was associated with higher risks of liver cancer, lymphoma and female breast cancer. Funding SourcesWellcome Trust.

Dairy Consumption and Risk of Conventional and Serrated Precursors of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Objective The consumption of dairy is associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but few studies have assessed the relationship between dairy consumption and precursors of CRC. Therefore, we performed the first meta-analysis to further evaluate this association. Methods PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched through July 2020 for observational studies. Study-specific risk estimates for the highest versus lowest category were pooled using the random-effects and fixed-effects model. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the ROBINS-I Scale. Results A total of 12 studies were included (3 cohort studies and 9 case-control studies). Compared with the lowest level consumption, fermented dairy products had a decreased risk of precursors of CRC in both cohort (RR = 0.92 95% CI: 0.87–0.97) and case-control studies (RR = 0.98 95% CI: 0.96–0.99). Total dairy (RR = 0.80 95% CI: 0.68–0.96) and cheese (RR = 0.96 95% CI: 0.93–0.99) consumption was inversely associated with the risk in case-control studies whereas yogurt consumption was inversely associated with the risk in cohort studies (RR = 0.91 95%CI: 0.86–0.96). No significant associations were found for consumption of total milk and non/low-fat milk. For dose-response analyses, evidence of linear association was found in total dairy and yogurt consumption. The risk decreased by 12% for an increment of 200 g/d total dairy consumption (RR = 0.88 95% CI: 0.81–0.95) and decreased by 8% for an increment of 50 g/d yogurt consumption (RR = 0.92 95% CI: 0.85–0.99). Conclusions Fermented dairy products, specifically yogurt and cheese, were significantly associated with decreased risk of conventional and serrated precursors of colorectal cancer.

Dairy consumption and subclinical atherosclerosis: A cross-sectional study among middle-aged Mexican women

Background and aimsMany dietary guidelines encourage low-fat dairy products; however, recent studies have found null and inverse associations between high-fat dairy intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We examined the association between the intake of total dairy and different types of dairy and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, in Mexican women. Methods and resultsDairy consumption was assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in 1759 women in the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort (MTC) study who were free of CVD or cancer. We categorized participants according to total dairy intake and consumption of four mutually exclusive dairy groups: high-fat, low-fat, yogurt, and dairy with added sugars. IMT and atherosclerotic plaque were measured by B-mode ultrasonography. Subclinical atherosclerosis was defined as an IMT ≥0.8 mm and/or the presence of plaque. Multivariable linear regression and logistic regression models were used to respectively assess the mean percentage difference of mean IMT and odds ratios (OR) for subclinical atherosclerosis across quantiles of dairy consumption. Mean (±SD) age was 45.4 ± 5.0 years and the median (interquartile range: IQR) total dairy consumption was 11.0 (6.6, 17.1) servings/week. After adjusting for lifestyle, clinical, and dietary factors, comparing the highest category of consumption, to the lowest, total dairy was associated with increased IMT (2.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6, 4.3; p-trend<0.01). Moreover, yogurt consumption was associated with lower odds of subclinical atherosclerosis (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.91; p-trend = 0.01). ConclusionsWhile total dairy consumption was associated with carotid wall thickening, yogurt consumption was related to lower subclinical atherosclerosis.

Associations between whole and low-fat dairy products consumption, physical performance and mental health

BACKGROUND: Military staff are required to be in a proper condition of mental health and weight standards and have a specific level of physical performances (PP). Dairy products are rich sources of essential nutrients. It was demonstrated that Iranians consume much less milk and its products and there is no exception in the military staff. OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between consumption of low or whole-fat dairy and psychological disorders and PP in military personnel. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in four military zones of Iran. Dairy products intake were evaluated by using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The Persian version of Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used to assess participants’ depression, anxiety and stress and PP were assessed by a 2-mile run, sit-up, push-up and pull-up. RESULTS: There was a significant negative relationship between the tertiles of total and low-fat dairy consumption and depression (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.79, P &lt; 0.05), and low-fat dairy consumption and stress (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.93, P &lt; 0.05). Also, there was a positive association between the last tertiles of low-fat dairy consumption and suitable PP (OR 5.28, 95% CI 1.08 to 25.71, P &lt; 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that consumption of dairy products and particularly low-fat products are related to less psychological problems and a better PP level.

Dairy Consumption and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults and Elderly People.

Background: To investigate the association of dairy consumption with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a representative sample of Korean adult and elderly population. Methods: We used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-2018. A total of 18,206 adults (19-64 years) and 5113 elderly people (≥65 years) were included in the analysis. Dairy product consumption was assessed with a 24-hr dietary recall, and the subjects were divided into three groups based on their total dairy consumption (0, <1, ≥1 serving/day). The primary outcome, MetS, was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III and the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity. Results: After adjusting for covariates, high dairy consumption was associated with 12% lower odds of MetS in adults compared with no dairy consumption [odds ratio (OR) 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78-0.998, P for trend = 0.048]. A similar inverse association was found in adult men (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71-0.99), but no significant association was found in adult women (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.78-1.11). For the elderly, high dairy consumption was associated with 20% lower odds of MetS (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.98, P for trend = 0.020); a significant inverse association was shown in elderly women (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.56-0.94) but not in elderly men (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.68-1.28). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that one or more servings/day of dairy products were associated with lower prevalence of MetS in Korean adult men and elderly women.

Dairy Consumption and Risks of Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality: A Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.

Previous studies of dairy consumption and colorectal cancer incidence have shown inconsistent results, and there was no meta-analysis of association of dairy consumption with colorectal cancer mortality. Thus, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of prospective cohort studies to investigate these associations. PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for eligible studies published up to July 2019, and a random effects model was used to estimate pooled RR. We identified 31 prospective cohort studies, which included 24,964 and 2,302 cases for colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, respectively. The pooled RR of colorectal cancer incidence for the highest versus lowest categories of total dairy consumption was 0.79 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74-0.85]. For milk consumption, there was also a significant inverse association (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.76-0.86). For cheese and fermented milk consumption, overall no association was found, but studies conducted in Europe showed a significant inverse association for cheese (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78-0.97) and fermented milk consumption (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.98). For colorectal cancer mortality, we found 29% lower risk of death from colorectal cancer in subjects with high dairy consumption compared with those with low intakes of dairy products (RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.93), but each type of dairy consumption did not show a significant association. High dairy consumption was associated with lower colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Our findings suggest that high dairy consumption may be associated with lower colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, but further studies are warranted.

Beverage milk consumption patterns in the United States: Who is substituting from dairy to plant-based beverages?

This research used a survey of 995 US households to explore how dairy milk and plant-based beverage substitutes were consumed. Long-term trends of declining beverage milk consumption have been exacerbated in recent years by increasing consumption of plant-based beverages. Although beverage milk consumption has been declining, total dairy consumption in the United States continues to increase, driven by growth in sales of cheese, butter, and yogurt. Using k-means cluster analysis, 3 consumption clusters for US households were identified. The largest cluster, consisting of 61.6% of households, consumed dairy milk with some regularity and consumed little or no plant-based beverages. A second cluster, flexitarian households, consisting of 15.6% of respondent households, frequently consumed both dairy milk and plant-based beverages. The third cluster, plant-based consumers, consisting of 22.8% of households, consumed almost exclusively plant-based beverages. Examining differences in demographics between clusters, flexitarian households were larger, more likely to include young children, more likely to include a vegetarian or vegan, and more liberal than traditional dairy-consuming households. Plant-based households had many similarities to flexitarian households. The flexitarian and plant-based clusters were willing to substitute plant-based beverages for dairy milk for almost all consumption uses.

The Associations between Dairy Product Consumption and Biomarkers of Inflammation, Adipocytokines, and Oxidative Stress in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The association between dairy product consumption and biomarkers of inflammation, adipocytokines, and oxidative stress is poorly studied in children. Therefore, these associations were examined in a representative subsample of 1338 schoolchildren with a mean age of 11.5 (±0.7) years in the Healthy Growth Study. Information on dairy product consumption was collected by dietary recalls. Total dairy consumption was calculated by summing the intake of milk, yogurt, and cheese. Inflammatory markers, i.e., high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and adipocytokines, i.e., leptin, adiponectin, and the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were analysed. Due to the skewed distribution hs-CRP, IL-6, and leptin were log transformed. Multivariable regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, energy intake, physical activity, parental education, Tanner stage, and fat mass were used to assess the associations between consumption of total dairy, milk, yogurt, cheese, and markers of inflammation, adipocytokines, oxidative stress, and adiponectin−leptin ratio. Our results showed that milk consumption was inversely associated with leptin (β: −0.101; 95% CI: −0.177, −0.025, p = 0.009) and positively associated with the adiponectin−leptin ratio (β: 0.116; 95% CI: 0.020, 0.211; p = 0.018), while total dairy, cheese, and yogurt consumption were not associated with inflammatory, adipocytokine, or antioxidant markers. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results.

Estimated Daily Lactose Consumption in Healthy U.S. Adults in Relation to Lactase Persistence Genotype (rs4988235)

Abstract Objectives Lactase persistence (LP), a heritable trait in which lactose can be digested throughout adulthood, is often used to predict dairy intake. However, it is currently unknown how LP relates to daily lactose consumption in healthy US adults. The objective of the study was to estimate lactose from foods reported in the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24) and to compare lactose and total dairy consumption in relation to LP genotypes. Methods ASA24 dietary data were collected from healthy Caucasians and Hispanics (n = 215) genotyped for the lactase persistence SNP ID: rs4988235. ASA24 outputs servings of dairy but not the nutrient lactose. Lactose was estimated by matching ASA24-reported foods to foods in the Nutrition Coordinating Center Food and Nutrient Database, which outputs lactose. Analysis of covariance was used to identify whether genotype influenced lactose and total dairy consumption with total energy intake and weight as covariates. Pairwise testing was conducted on the adjusted means using the Tukey adjustment to correct for multiple testing. Results Median lactose consumption for subjects with the AA genotype (homozygous LP) was 12.08 g (min: 0.91 g, max: 81.85 g), 10.05 g (min: 0.46 g, max: 45.82) for subjects with the AG genotype (heterozygous LP), and 8.97 g (min: 0.47, max: 38.96 g) for subjects with the GG genotype (homozygous lactase non-persistent). AA subjects consumed more lactose than GG subjects (P = 0.024). When stratifying by sex, there were no significant differences among genotypes in women, although GG women consumed the least amount of lactose compared to AA and AG women. AA men consumed more lactose than AG (P = 0.028) and GG men (P = 0.032). Subjects with the AA genotype consumed the most, and GG subjects the least amount of dairy. However, there were no significant differences in total dairy consumption among genotypes. Conclusions The median amount of lactose consumed daily by healthy adults is 9–12 g/day, with higher consumption by those with an LP genotype. Total dairy intake was not significantly influenced by genotype, highlighting the value in specifically estimating lactose consumption. Maximal lactose intake by lactase non-persisters exceeding 15 g/day suggests alternate routes of lactose catabolism. Funding Sources The California Dairy Research Foundation and the USDA-ARS.

Dairy products and metabolic syndrome among Iranian adult population: Isfahan Healthy Heart Program

The associations between frequency of low fat, high fat and total dairy consumption and metabolic syndrome (MS) occurrence were determined. In a cross-sectional survey, 9660 randomly chosen adults aged ≥19 years were selected in three districts of central Iran in 2007. Nutrition behaviours were assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric, blood pressure and biochemical measurement were collected. This study showed that the total dairy intake was inversely related to MS occurrence after full adjustment [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 0.84 (0.70–0.96); P = 0.04]. However, there were no significant associations between low and high fat dairy and the occurrence of MS after full adjustment. Total dairy intake had an inverse association with systolic blood pressure, waist circumference and triglyceride and positive relationship with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Further well-designed randomised clinical trials on the effect of a variety of dairy products on MS need to be conducted.

Dairy product consumption and hypertension risk in a prospective French cohort of women

BackgroundAmong potentially modifiable factors, dairy product consumption has been inconsistently associated with hypertension risk. The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between dairy product consumption and the risk of hypertension among middle-aged women.MethodsIn a prospective cohort of 40,526 French women, there were 9340 new cases of hypertension after an average 12.2 years of follow up. Consumptions of milk, yogurt, and types of cheese were assessed at baseline using a validated dietary questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for hypertension were estimated with multivariate Cox models with age as the time scale.ResultsThe mean dairy consumption was 2.2 + 1.2 servings/day, as cottage cheese (0.2 + 0.2 servings/day), yogurt (0.6 + 0.5 servings/day), milk (0.4 + 0.7 servings/day), and cheese (1.1 + 0.8 servings/day). There was no association between risk of hypertension and total dairy consumption (multivariate HR for the fifth vs. first quintile HR5vs.1 = 0.97 [0.91; 1.04]). There was no association with any specific type of dairy, except for a positive association between processed cheese consumption and hypertension (multivariate HR4vs.1 = 1.12 [1.06; 1.18]; p trend = < 0.003).ConclusionsIn this large prospective cohort of French women, overall consumption of dairy products was not associated with the risk of hypertension. Results regarding processed cheese must be further confirmed.

Dairy consumption and risk of falls in 2 European cohorts of older adults.

Some previous evidence have linked dairy products with greater muscle mass, bone mineral density and lower risk of osteoporosis. However, there is also evidence of a detrimental effect of milk on the risk of hip fracture. The aim of this study was to assess the prospective association between dairy consumption and risk of falls in older adults. We used data from 2 cohorts of community-dwellers aged ≥60y: the Seniors-ENRICA cohort with 2981 individuals, and the UK Biobank cohort with 8927 participants. In the Seniors-ENRICA, dairy consumption was assessed with a validated diet history in 2008-10, and falls were ascertained up to 2015. In the UK Biobank study, dairy consumption was obtained with 3-5 multiple-pass 24-h food records in 2006-10, and falls were assessed up to 2016. A total of 801 individuals in the Seniors-ENRICA and 201 in the UK Biobank experienced ≥1 fall. After adjustment for potential confounders, dairy products were not associated with risk of falls in the Seniors-ENRICA [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) per 1-serving increment in total dairy consumption: 1.02 (0.93-1.11), milk: 0.93 (0.85-1.01), yogurt: 1.05 (0.96-1.15), and cheese: 0.96 (0.88-1.05)]. Corresponding figures in the UK Biobank were: total dairy: 1.19 (1.00-1.41), milk: 1.53 (1.13-2.08), yogurt: 1.10 (0.90-1.31), and cheese: 1.02 (0.87-1.22). These results suggest a null association between habitual dairy consumption and the risk of falling in older adults. Whether milk consumption may increase the risk of falls, as observed in the UK Biobank cohort, merits further study.

Health Care Costs and Savings Associated with Increased Dairy Consumption among Adults in the United States.

Background: The purpose of this study is to estimate the impact on health care costs if United States (US) adults increased their dairy consumption to meet Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendations. Methods: Risk estimates from recent meta-analyses quantifying the association between dairy consumption and health outcomes were combined with the increase in dairy consumption under two scenarios where population mean dairy intakes from the 2015–2016 What We Eat in America were increased to meet the DGA recommendations: (1) according to proportions by type as specified in US Department of Agriculture Food Intake Patterns and (2) assuming the consumption of a single dairy type. The resulting change in risk was combined with published data on annual health care costs to estimate impact on costs. Health care costs were adjusted to account for potential double counting due to overlapping comorbidities of the health outcomes included. Results: Total dairy consumption among adults in the US was 1.49 cup-equivalents per day (c-eq/day), requiring an increase of 1.51 c-eq/day to meet the DGA recommendation. Annual cost savings of $12.5 billion (B) (range of $2.0B to $25.6B) were estimated based on total dairy consumption resulting from a reduction in stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer and an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease and prostate cancer. Similar annual cost savings were estimated for an increase in low-fat dairy consumption ($14.1B; range of $0.8B to $27.9B). Among dairy sub-types, an increase of approximately 0.5 c-eq/day of yogurt consumption alone to help meet the DGA recommendations resulted in the highest annual cost savings of $32.5B (range of $16.5B to $52.8B), mostly driven by a reduction in type 2 diabetes. Conclusions: Adoption of a dietary pattern with increased dairy consumption among adults in the US to meet DGA recommendations has the potential to provide billions of dollars in savings.

Estimation of thermodynamic characteristics for comprehensive dairy food processing plant: An energetic and exergetic approach

India produces and consumes an array of traditional and modern dairy products. The value added milk derivatives such as cream, butter, ghee, yogurt, ice cream and other condensed forms of milks etc, forms 54% of the total dairy consumption with an annual energy consumption of 0.4 Mtoe in the year 2018. In view of 3.6% annual growth of this sector, the exergetic estimation of comprehensive dairy processing plant which primarily includes milk pasteurisation, cream pasteurisation and ghee manufacturing units are highly imperative for better utilization of energy resource. The present study determined first and second law performances, exergy destruction and exergy improvement potential in specific values for complete dairy processing plant consisting of aforementioned units; as 90%, 82.13%, 612.77 kJ/kg and 410.12 kJ/kg respectively. The highest contribution to specific exergy destruction was found at ghee production unit (410.10 kJ/kg) followed by cream pasteurisation unit (117.68 kJ/kg). Similarly specific exergy improvement potential was reported to be highest in ghee production unit (291.14 kJ/kg) followed by cream pasteurisation unit (74.31 kJ/kg). The total amount of electrical and thermal energy consumption was ascertained to be 322.25 kW and 171.64 kW respectively.

Associations of dairy intake with risk of mortality in women and men: three prospective cohort studies

ObjectiveTo examine the association of consumption of dairy foods with risk of total and cause specific mortality in women and men.DesignThree prospective cohort studies with repeated measures of diet and...

Association between dairy intake and fracture in an Australian-based cohort of women: a prospective study

ObjectiveGiven the inconsistent evidence on dairy consumption and risk of fracture, we assessed the association between milk/total dairy consumption and major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) in women from the Geelong Osteoporosis...

The Impact of Dairy Products in the Development of Type 2 Diabetes: Where Does the Evidence Stand in 2019?

ABSTRACTThe prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has increased rapidly. Adopting a heathy diet is suggested as one of the effective behaviors to prevent or delay onset of T2D. Dairy consumption has been recommended as part of a healthy diet, but there remains uncertainty in both the scientific community and the public about the effect of different dairy products on T2D risk. In a recent workshop, the evidence on dairy products and T2D risk was presented and discussed by a group of experts. The main conclusions from the workshop are presented in this position paper and are as follows. 1) Available evidence from large prospective cohort studies and limited randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggests that total dairy consumption has a neutral or moderately beneficial effect on T2D risk. 2) Increasing evidence from prospective cohort studies indicates that yogurt is most strongly associated with a lower T2D risk, but evidence from RCTs is scarce. 3) Fatty acids from dairy (medium-chain, odd, and very long-chain SFAs as well as trans-palmitoleic acid) are associated with lower T2D risk and improved metabolic health, but more research is needed on studies that explore cause and effect relations to exclude the possibility that the dairy fatty acids simply serve as markers of overall dairy consumption. 4) The food matrix can be a stronger determinant of health effects than SFA content. This review further identifies research gaps in the existing knowledge and highlights key research questions that need to be addressed to better understand the impact of dairy consumption on future T2D risk.

Association between dairy consumption and prevalence of obesity in adult population of northeast China: An internet-based cross-sectional study.

Dairy has been shown to reduce the risk of obesity in many epidemiological studies. However, few studies have been fully conducted in China in this respect. We aimed to investigate the association between dairy consumption and prevalence of obesity in an adult Chinese population. A cross-sectional study was performed in an adult population of 5598 in northeast China, aged ≥18. Intakes of dairy products were obtained by internet-based dietary questionnaire for the Chinese (IDQC). The associations between total and individual dairy consumption and prevalence of overall and abdominal obesity were examined by logistic regression. Sex stratification was performed. A total of 3871 participants, including 1700 men and 2171 women, were eligible for analysis. Men who consumed ≥100 g/day of yogurt had lower risks of abdominal obesity (multivariate-adjusted OR=0.41; 95% CI: 0.24-0.70) than men who did not consume yogurt. Women who consumed ≥200 g/day of milk had lower risks of overall obesity (multivariate-adjusted OR=0.47; 95% CI: 0.24-0.91) than women who did not consume milk. Increased dairy consumption was associated with lower risk of obesity in adult population in northeast China. Further studies are needed to confirm these observational findings and explain the observed gender-specific difference.

Dairy Consumption and Associations with Nutritional Status of Chinese Children and Adolescents

ObjectiveThis study aimed to describe frequency and quantity of total dairy consumption of Chinese children and adolescents and explore the associations between dairy consumption and nutrition status, including stunting, wasting, overweight, and obesity. MethodsParticipants included 28,250 children and adolescents aged 6-17 years old. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) including 100 kinds of food was used to collect information about frequency and quantity of dairy consumption. Determination of stunting was with a height cutoff value for age and gender, and determination for wasting, overweight, and obesity was with BMI for age and gender. ResultsOf the total sample, 36.1% of children aged 6-17 reported consuming dairy food more than once per day (≥ 1/day). The average total dairy intake of all the participants was 126.7 g/day. For boys, dairy consumption had an inverse correlation with stunting and wasting after controlling for confounders. For girls, dairy consumption was negatively associated with stunting and obesity after controlling for confounders as above. ConclusionDairy consumption in Chinese children and adolescents was relatively lower than that in developed countries, and was negatively associated with stunting and wasting for boys and with stunting and obesity for girls.