Drinking Milk Might Be Good for your Brain, Study Says

There are many studies about milk but no clear agreement on its properties. Usually the researchers focus on its effectiveness against osteoporosis or its possible negative effects, ranging from heart diseases (for its high saturated fat content) to plausible increased risk of ovarian or prostate cancer. New research at the University of Maine, US, provides a novel field of study: drinking milk, among consuming other dairy products, may benefit our brain health, its authors say.

The research is based on an experiment involving 972 people between the ages of 23 to 98. They were asked to fill in detailed questionnaires  in which they stated their eating habits, after which they performed a series of tests on concentration, memory and learning abilities.

The results showed that people who drink milk or consume dairy products on a daily basis generally obtained higher scores at the tests; in some cases, they were 5 times more likely to succeed.

“New and emerging brain health benefits are just one more reason to start each day with low-fat or fat-free milk”, said the authors. It seems, though, that more research would be needed in order to reach more specific and precise conclusions.

Sources: Daily Mail, EurekAlert!, Harvard School of Public Health

Photo: nkzs/stock.xchng

Crichton, G., Elias, M., Dore, G., & Robbins, M. (2012). Relation between dairy food intake and cognitive function: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study International Dairy Journal, 22 (1), 15-23 DOI: 10.1016/j.idairyj.2011.08.001

•