Milk May Reduce Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

Dairy Products Lower Risk Of Developing Insulin-Resistant Syndrome

Type 2 diabetes, which used to show up in middle age, is more and more common now among young people -- even adolescents.

A study in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association suggests what people are not eating may be one of the causes.

If dairy is a staple for an older generation, it's soda and fast food for younger folks. With milk intake down over the last 30 years, and type 2 diabetes on the rise, a new study suggests a link between the two.

Twenty-five percent of adults have a condition called insulin-resistant syndrome. The insulin in their bodies does not control blood sugar as it should.

People with insulin resistance are more likely to be obese, have high blood sugar and cholesterol problems. All of these increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. This study found that the more dairy products you eat, the lower your risk of developing insulin-resistant syndrome.

"Those who were eating high amounts of dairy products, five or more times per day eating dairy products, they were 70 percent less likely to develop insulin-resistant syndrome over the 10-year period," researcher Dr. Mark Pereira said.

Researchers claim they do not know why this happens. It could be the effect of certain components in milk such as calcium, lactose or protein. Another possibility is that the calories in cola are different from calories in milk.

They also said it may be that dairy foods are more filling so you eat less. Whatever the reason, the benefits were evident regardless of the person's other eating habits and lifestyle.

"All these different types of dairy products, milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. appear to offer protection from developing insulin-resistance syndrome," Pereira said.

Researchers say that the earlier you encourage your children to drink milk instead of soda, the better.

"It's very clear it may have its roots in adolescence, so I think any study that shows that you can change the natural history of a pre-diabetic condition is very important," Lahey Clinic Dr. Richard Nesto said.

Nesto said that parents would be wise to encourage their kids to get their calories from healthy food.

"If milk, substituting milk, is one way to do that and it looks like it is, then I would certainly endorse that," Nesto said.

In the study, it did not matter if people ate full fat or reduced-fat dairy products. The benefits were the same, but for other health reasons, experts say it is best to stick with lower fat foods.

The researchers emphasize that they can't make any diet recommendations based on one study. But with obesity a major risk factor for diabetes, experts agree that keeping extra weight off is the best precaution.

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