Milk is a beverage that is popular among people. Considering the number of nutrients contained in milk, it may give positive effects to our body. However, it cannot be denied that milk also contains quite a lot of fat, which may increase the risk of health problems such as coronary heart disease (CHD).
CHD occurred when the blood supply to the heart becomes lower due to the accumulation of fat in the artery that brings the blood to the heart muscles. The condition may occur due to several factors such as smoking, the amount of cholesterol in the blood, and blood pressure.
Many experts debated the effect of dairy products on the health of the heart. Some agreed that dairy products may give positive effects, while some others argue otherwise. According to recent research conducted by the University of Eastern Finland, fermented milk products may help to maintain our heart health.
According to the research that published in the British Journal of Nutrition, a person who consumed fermented milk products (sour milk, cheese, and yoghurt) with fat content less than 3.5% has 27% less risk of CHD. On the other hand, people who consumed regular dairy products has 52% higher risk of CHD. The risk of heart disease would be higher for those who drank milk at least 900ml/day.
In the research, the researchers analysed the data of 1.981 adult men with an age range of 42-60 years old from the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) study from 1984 to 1989. At the beginning of joining, all participants did not have a CHD history, and they gave the detail regarding their diet. The analysis was done for 20 years, and 472 participants were reported as having CHD.
Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay
Source(s):
- Koskinen, T. T., Virtanen, H. E., Voutilainen, S. (2018). Intake of fermented and non-fermented dairy products and risk of incident CHD: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, British Journal of Nutrition, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114518002830.
- Can fermented dairy shield you against heart disease (2018). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323555.php, 07 November 2018.