Skimmed Milk Reduces The Risk Of Hypertension By 50 Percent

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is the peer-reviewed journal of international reference in the field of nutrition. In its latest issue, of November, it published an article which demonstrated that non-fat milk products can reduce the risk of hypertension by 50%, while nevertheless there is no appreciable connection between that disease and the consumption of whole milk.

The research was carried out by a team of researchers from the University of Navarra and Alvaro Alonso, currently a researcher in the School of Public Health at Harvard University who is the lead author of the article.Research population of 6,000 personsThis was a study which evaluated the relationship between the consumption of milk products and the risk of developing arterial hypertension.They performed a research project that followed 6,000 people over the course of two years.Those persons with an elevated consumption of skimmed milk and milk products showed a reduction of 50% in their risk of developing hypertension, compared with those with a low consumption or who did not consume these products. Nevertheless, no relationship was encountered between the consumption of whole milk products and the risk of hypertension.These results can contribute to a clearer definition of dietary guidelines for the prevention of arterial hypertension. In particular, although data from prior studies indicated a possible preventative role of lactose products in the development of arterial hypertension, these results have been the first to demonstrate that this association exists in adults.(Source: Elhuyar Fundazioa: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: November 2005.)