A recent study at McMaster University found that eating at least two daily servings of dairy is linked to lower risks of diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as the cluster of factors that heighten heart disease risk (metabolic syndrome).
The effects were strongest for full-fat dairy products.
The study is published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.
Previous research has shown that higher dairy intake is associated with a lower risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome.
But these studies have tended to focus on North America and Europe to the exclusion of other regions of the world.
In the study, the team wanted to see whether these associations might also be found in a broader range of countries.
Participants were all aged between 35 and 70 and came from 21 countries: Argentina; Bangladesh; Brazil; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; India; Iran; Malaysia; Palestine; Pakistan; Philippines, Poland; South Africa; Saudi Arabia; Sweden; Tanzania; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; and Zimbabwe.
Dairy products included milk, yogurt, yogurt drinks, cheese, and dishes prepared with dairy products, and were classified as full or low fat (1-2%).
Butter and cream were assessed separately as these are not commonly eaten in some of the countries studied.
The health of nearly 190,000 participants was tracked for an average of nine years, during which time 13,640 people developed high blood pressure, and 5351 developed diabetes.
The researchers found total dairy and full-fat dairy, but not low-fat dairy was linked to a lower prevalence of most components of metabolic syndrome, with the size of the association greatest in those countries with normally low dairy intakes.
At least 2 servings a day of total dairy were linked to a 24% lower risk of metabolic syndrome, rising to 28% for full-fat dairy alone, compared with no daily dairy intake.
At least 2 servings a day of total dairy was linked to an 11-12% lower risk of both conditions, rising to a 13-14% lower risk for 3 daily servings. The associations were stronger for full fat than they were for low-fat dairy.
The team says that increasing dairy consumption may be a feasible and low-cost way of reducing metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes, and ultimately heart disease events worldwide.
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