A glass of milk each day can significantly reduce the risk of suffering from heart disease, according to a new study.
A team of researchers also found milk drinkers have lower levels of cholesterol, which can block arteries and lead to heart attacks.
According to The Daily Mail, those who drink milk each day slashed their risk of coronary heart disease by 14 percent. By studying the health information of two million Britons and Americans, scientists discovered those with a mutation enabling them to consume large amounts of milk were less prone to cardiovascular illnesses, the German News Agency reported.
The new finding comes as a growing body of evidence is showing that dairy products can actually be good for your health. Past studies had previously concluded that dairy products were bad.
Professor Vimal Karani, lead author and a nutritionist at the University of Reading, said: "We found that among participants with a genetic variation that we associated with higher milk intake, they had higher BMI, body fat, but importantly had lower levels of good and bad cholesterol. We also found that those with the genetic variation had a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease."
When they pooled data from the UK Biobank study, and the Health and Retirement study from the US, the scientists found those who drank more milk had lower levels of blood fats.
However, the authors did find that regular milk drinkers generally have a higher body mass index (BMI) in comparison to non-milk drinkers. Though obesity, diabetes, and other conditions that affect metabolism also have ties to an overindulgence in dairy products, Karani said there was no evidence higher milk intake increased the chances of diabetes. The latest findings were published in the International Journal of Obesity.
