Plenty of dairy foods in childhood may mean a longer life

A study by British and Australian researchers has revealed that children who eat plenty of dairy foods may live longer.

Research which began in the 1930's tracked 4,374 British children, age 4 to 11, over a 65 year period and the results suggest that those with a diet rich in dairy foods live longer.

Milk is an excellent source of calcium and the children who ate plenty of dairy foods such as milk and cheese appeared to be protected against stroke and other causes of death, even though dairy products often contain fats and cholesterol which fur up the arteries and high consumption of dairy products did not raise the heart disease risk.

The study examined family diets and as well as the health, growth and living conditions of the children in the households and found that higher intakes of both calcium and dairy, predominantly from milk, cut mortality by a quarter and appears to support the practice of giving extra milk to schoolchildren.

A higher daily intake of calcium, of at least 400mg as found in just over half a pint of milk, cut the chance of dying from stroke by as much as 60% - three servings of dairy foods - for example, a 200ml glass of milk, a pot of yogurt and a small piece of cheese - will provide all the calcium most people need each day.

The beneficial effects were seen at estimated intake levels similar to those currently recommended by experts but the researchers say other factors may also play a part - children with the highest dairy intakes came from wealthier families and ate better diets overall - but the researchers accounted for this and say there is evidence that high calcium intake is beneficial for blood pressure - prolonged high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke.

The researchers from Bristol University and Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, say dairy consumption may also influence heart and circulation health through a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) - high circulating levels of IGF-1 in adults are linked with reduced cases of heart failure and heart disease deaths.

Experts say more research is called for in order to assess the benefits of milk in reducing the chances of stroke but they also say a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and low in saturated fat and salt is advisable for the overall health of both children and adults and it is important to include dairy as part of a balanced diet from the early years.

The study is published in the journal Heart.