If you’re trying to maintain a heart-healthy diet, research now suggests reaching for a glass of low-fat milk or other low-fat dairy products such as cheese or yogurt.
According to a 2006 study, consuming more dairy is associated with healthy blood pressure, especially in those who maintained an overall diet low in saturated fat. Participants who ate about three servings or more of dairy products per day had lower systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) than those who consumed little dairy, even when adjusted for other factors. Researchers also found that those who ate the most dairy had 36 percent lower odds of having high blood pressure. The potassium and magnesium in milk products may be partly responsible for this effect. Participants who consumed the highest amounts of dairy and followed a diet low in saturated fat appeared to have the most pressure-busting benefits. “Saturated fat intake impacts blood pressure,” says Robert H. Eckel, M.D., a past president of the American Heart Association and a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Science Center, “and low-fat dairy foods contain less than their full-fat counterparts.”—Jennifer Castoro
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