Superfood milk can help fight disease, conference is told
Last updated 1/26/2012 1:35:52 PM
Superfood milk can help fight disease
Milk is a ‘superfood' that can help fight disease - but more research is needed to convince consumers to stock up on the white stuff.
That was the message to emerge from a meeting of scientists and food industry experts at the University of Reading.
The event provided the latest review of the evidence on the role dairy foods and milk can play in keeping people fit and healthy and preventing vascular disease, such as heart attacks and strokes - Europe's biggest killer illness.
It also heard about the the role that milk proteins play in lowering blood pressure and improving vascular function and how changing the diets of dairy cows can change the types of fat in milk and reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas methane, thereby helping to tackle global warming. Milk proteins could also help older people maintain muscle mass, the conference was told.
Professor Ian Givens, from the University of Reading, said: "Milk and dairy products remain a crucial part of our diet, but the legacy of health scares, misinformation, and a lack of investment in research in the past has left the public confused about whether dairy products are helpful or harmful to their health.
"Considering the importance that consumers are now placing on diet and health when making purchasing decisions, it is no surprise that there is an increased focus on research into dairy foods and health."