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Milk has long been at the center of dietary debates, with some praising it and others blaming it for cardiovascular problems. A long-term study in South Wales offers another perspective. Tracking men over two decades, researchers found no strong evidence that drinking milk increased the risk of heart disease or stroke. The research comes from the Caerphilly Cohort, a representative population sample of men living in south Wales who were aged between 45 and 59 when the study began in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Participants were asked to weigh and record everything they ate and drank for seven consecutive days.
Researchers then followed the group for 20 years and collected detailed records of deaths, strokes and heart disease events using standard diagnostic criteria.
What the numbers really show
Of the men contacted, 665 returned diet diaries that met the study’s standards, representing 87 percent participation. The researchers divided the participants based on milk intake and compared those who drank at least the average amount of milk with those who drank the least.
After adjusting for other factors, men who drank more milk had a lower risk of ischemic stroke. Their relative probabilities were 0.52, with confidence limits ranging from 0.27 to 0.99. In plain words, they experienced about half the risk of stroke among those who drank less milk during the study period.
For ischemic heart disease, the pattern leaned in the same direction but was less pronounced. With a confidence limit of 0.56 to 1.40, the relative probabilities came to 0.88. That result did not show any strong or definite effect either way.
Deaths from all causes appeared to be almost similar between the two groups. The relative difference was 1.08, indicating no meaningful difference in overall mortality associated with milk consumption.
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what does it mean
The researchers were cautious about their findings. The findings do not support claims that drinking milk increases the risk of vascular disease. If anything, the data suggest a lower risk of ischemic stroke in men who drink more milk, and possibly even a modest benefit for heart disease.
The results are also in line with earlier research. The authors agreed with a previous observation from 10 large, long-term cohort studies that relied on food frequency questionnaires rather than weighed dietary records.
Still, the study does not argue that milk is protective in all cases, nor does it suggest that people should increase their intake for heart health. This directly challenges the idea that milk in itself poses a cardiovascular risk.
Also read: Cardiologist with 30 years of experience explains how long-term and high-dose melatonin use affects the heart
For a topic often driven by fear and headlines, the takeaway here is control. Milk, at least in this group of older men, does not do as much harm as it is sometimes accused.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions you may have about a medical condition.
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