[Studyfinds.org] READING, United Kingdom — A new study finds milk isn’t just good for your bones, it’s also doing plenty for your heart too. An international team finds drinking milk regularly can significantly drop the chances of suffering from heart disease.Their findings reveal milk drinkers also have lower levels of cholesterol, which can cause blockages in the arteries and lead to a heart attack or stroke. Overall, those drinking milk each day slashed their risk of coronary heart disease by 14 percent.
Study authors based their conclusions on health information from almost two million people in the United States and United Kingdom. Those with a mutation enabling them to consume large quantities of milk were less prone to cardiovascular illnesses. Researchers note thatt previous studies have concluded that dairy products can be generally bad for your health. However, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting this idea is false.
"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," says lead author Professor Vimal Karani, a nutritionist at the University of Reading, in a release.
"We also found that those with the genetic variation had a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease. All of this suggests that reducing the intake of milk might not be necessary for preventing cardiovascular diseases."