Its official, Dairy is linked to better cardiovascular health

As the leading cause of death in Australia, coronary heart disease accounts for over 19% of all deaths, with stroke weighing in at 9%. The results of a large multinational study following over 400 000 men and women from between 8 to 28 years has found that participants with the highest daily milk consumption have a 16% lower risk of heart disease or stroke. Interestingly, the majority of milk consumed in the study was regular fat milk.

Despite major advances in medical technology, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been steadily rising over the last decade, and preventing CVD is an important national health priority. Risk factors to look out for include; high cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, physical inactivity, family history, age and even being male!While some of these factors are beyond our control, a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and eating right are within reach, and can go a long way to reducing your risk. A major study has shown blood pressure and cholesterol can be lowered by following an eating plan called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan. The good thing is that DASH is not too different from what you’re eating right now. By following a diet containing plenty of fruits, vegetables and 3 serves of mainly low fat dairy foods the DASH plan can lower blood pressure to a level similar to that expected from blood pressure medication. DASH was also found to lower total cholesterol by 7% and LDL cholesterol by 9%. Importantly, you can expect to see results after just two weeks.As a proven foundation of the DASH plan, dairy contains 10 essential nutrients including calcium, vitamins A and B12, carbohydrate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, protein, riboflavin and zinc. Getting one serve is simple; a glass of milk, two slices of cheese, or even a small tub of yoghurt all count. Remember your three serves of dairy each day; your heart will love you for it. Please click here to view the full factsheet.