Low-Fat Dairy and Diabetes

According to a new preliminary study published in Diabetes Care, women whose diets include low-fat dairy products may lessen their risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.

Researchers studied the relationship between Type-2 diabetes and dairy intake in 37,183 middle-aged and older women. A total of 1,603 women developed diabetes during an average follow-up of 10 years. After adjusting for factors including weight, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and family history of diabetes, women with the highest intake of dairy foods were 21 percent less likely to develop Type-2 diabetes than those with the lowest intake. Low-fat dairy products were said to account for most of this reduced risk. Researchers also noted that each extra daily serving of dairy was associated with a 4 percent lower risk.

Researchers couldn't explain why dairy would lessen the risk of Type-2 diabetes, as the beneficial results were unchanged after adjusting for calcium, vitamin D and magnesium intake.

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