Keep healthy, drink full fat milk

Consumers who drink a glass of full fat milk a day may be less likely to suffer from asthma than those who drink a less fatty dairy alternative. These are the findings from a recent study in Australia that investigated how dairy products contribute to the high asthma prevalence among young adults in that country.

Researchers at Monash University, led by Rosalie Woods, were funded by the Dairy Research and Development Corporation in Australia from July 1999 to June 2001. The research was part of a larger study that looked at the prevalence and risk factors, particularly dietary, associated with respiratory health in young Australian adults.

The results of the study on 1600 young adults of 25 nutrients and 120 foods showed that those who consumed full cream milk were 34 per cent less likely to have asthma. The asthma risk could also be reduced by 17-18 per cent by eating apples, pears and leafy green vegetables. According to Dr Woods, asthma patients often alter their diet to reduce the level of dairy products but the new findings suggest that this may not be beneficial.

Contrary to current trends, the study also showed that adults who regularly consume soy milk and ricotta cheese are twice as likely to be asthmatics.

Food allergies are very much part of the food science vocabulary today and much research is taking place across the world to tackle this growing problem. Woods and her team found that diet played a major role in the disease for only about 2 per cent to 5 per cent of asthmatics who also had food allergies.

Details of the work are soon to be presented at a Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand scientific meeting in Cairns.