Dairy products are one of the most widely consumed foods globally, and they are essential sources of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Some recent studies have indicated positive associations between the intake of dairy foods and the risk of mortality. This study aims to examine the effects of dairy food intake on total and all-cause mortality in men and women.
This study is a combination of three prospective cohort studies, including repeated diet and lifestyle measures. It included a total of 217,755 participants (168,153 women and 49,602 women) without cancer or cardiovascular disease at baseline. The primary outcome was total and cause-specific mortalities during 32 years of follow-up.
Researchers found that the multivariate pooled heard ratio (MPHR) for total mortality in the lowest category of dairy consumers (>1 servings per day) was 0.95. For the second category of dairy consumers (1.5 servings per day), the MPHR was 0.98; 1.0 for the third-category (2 servings per day), and 1.02 for the fourth category (2. servings per day). However, the consumption of whole milk intake was associated with higher risks of total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cancer mortality.
The research concluded that there were no significant associations between dairy intake and the risk of total mortality. However, the consumption of whole milk increased the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in both sexes.
Ref: https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l6204
