The popularity of dairy products as a mean to lose weight is apparent every time we turn on the TV or drive by a billboard. Got milk seems to be a catch phrase for the last decade. Not surprisingly, all the latest research on the health benefits of dairy seems to be conclusive: Consumption of low fat dairy products does a body good.
Low fat dairy products offer several nutritional benefits. They are high in protein, balanced with healthy fats, and a moderate amount of carbohydrate. In an essence they are one of natures perfect foods. Snacks such as cottage cheese, yogurt, and cheese are better snack choices to reach for instead of crackers, chips, and other easily prepared items in our cupboards.
As well most dairy is fortified or enriched with vitamins and minerals that can sometimes be lacking in our daily diets. All dairy sold in supermarkets contains daily recommended amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin D and calcium to aid in growth and development. Yet these minerals and vitamins also help maintain proper functioning of other systems in our body.
The healthy balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat in dairy also make it a perfect food to control blood sugar. Women and men who are prone to low blood sugar are encourage to consume dairy snacks. And now research out of Los Angeles states dairy (low fat) consumption may lower a woman's risk of developing diabetes. The results were published in the latest issue of Diabetes Care.
In the study women who consumed 3 or more servings of low fat dairy a day decreased their risk of developing diabetes by 21% compared to women who consumed no dairy. For every serving of dairy consumed, the risk was lowered by about 4%. This trend was true for women regardless of other risk factors including family history and women who were overweight or obese.
The study also considered the results to be due to calcium and Vitamin D, but found that the effect was true regardless of vitamin and mineral content. The authors state more studies are needed to confirm these results, but evidence from this study is promising and supports previous studies that observed a similar effect in men.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on June 30, 2006 10:56 PM
