JACN Did you know that you can get alerts when a new issue is online?
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Elwood, P. C.
Right arrow Articles by Gallacher, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Elwood, P. C.
Right arrow Articles by Gallacher, J.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 27, No. 6, 723S-734S (2008)
Published by the American College of Nutrition

REVIEW

The Survival Advantage of Milk and Dairy Consumption: an Overview of Evidence from Cohort Studies of Vascular Diseases, Diabetes and Cancer

Peter C. Elwood, MD, D. Ian Givens, PhD, Andrew D. Beswick, BSc, Ann M. Fehily, PhD, Janet E. Pickering, MSc and John Gallacher, PhD

Department of Epidemiology, Statistics and Public Health, Cardiff University (P.C.E., J.G.)
Nutritional Sciences Research Unit, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading (D.I.G.)
Formerly: MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cardiff (A.M.F., J.E.P.)
Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol (A.D.B.), UNITED KINGDOM

Address reprint requests to: Professor P. C. Elwood, Department of Primary Care & Public Health, Centre for Health Sciences Research, Cardiff University, University Hospital of Wales, 5th Floor, Neuadd Meirionnydd, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4YS, UNITED KINGDOM. E-mail: pelwood{at}doctors.org.uk

Objectives: To conduct a detailed evaluation, with meta-analyses, of the published evidence on milk and dairy consumption and the incidence of vascular diseases and diabetes. Also to summarise the evidence on milk and dairy consumption and cancer reported by the World Cancer Research Fund and then to consider the relevance of milk and dairy consumption to survival in the UK, a typical Western community. Finally, published evidence on relationships with whole milk and fat-reduced milks was examined.

Methods: Prospective cohort studies of vascular disease and diabetes with baseline data on milk or dairy consumption and a relevant disease outcome were identified by searching MEDLINE, and reference lists in the relevant published reports. Meta-analyses of relationships in these reports were conducted. The likely effect of milk and dairy consumption on survival was then considered, taking into account the results of published overviews of relationships of these foods with cancer.

Results: From meta-analysis of 15 studies the relative risk of stroke and/or heart disease in subjects with high milk or dairy consumption was 0.84 (95% CI 0.76, 0.93) and 0.79 (0.75, 0.82) respectively, relative to the risk in those with low consumption. Four studies reported incident diabetes as an outcome, and the relative risk in the subjects with the highest intake of milk or diary foods was 0.92 (0.86, 0.97).

Conclusions: Set against the proportion of total deaths attributable to the life-threatening diseases in the UK, vascular disease, diabetes and cancer, the results of meta-analyses provide evidence of an overall survival advantage from the consumption of milk and dairy foods.

Key words: milk, dairy, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, survival






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2008 by the American College of Nutrition.