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Low-fat dairy consumption reduces systolic blood pressure, but does not improve other metabolic risk parameters in overweight and obese subjects

L.E.C. van MeijlCorresponding Author Informationemail address, R.P. Mensink

Received 7 May 2009; received in revised form 20 October 2009; accepted 21 October 2009. published online 15 February 2010.
Corrected Proof

Abstract 

Background and aims

Epidemiological studies have indicated a negative relation between low-fat dairy consumption and the metabolic syndrome. However, evidence from intervention studies is scarce. Our aim was to investigate the effects of daily consumption of low-fat dairy products on metabolic risk parameters in overweight and obese men and women.

Methods and results

Thirty-five healthy subjects (BMI>27kg/m2) consumed low-fat dairy products (500mL low-fat milk and 150g low-fat yogurt) or carbohydrate-rich control products (600mL fruit juice and 3 fruit biscuits) daily for 8 weeks in random order. Compared with the control period, systolic blood pressure was decreased by 2.9mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI), −5.5 to −0.3mmHg; P=0.027), while the difference in diastolic blood pressure did not reach statistical significance (95% CI, −3.4 to 0.3mmHg; P=0.090). Low-fat dairy consumption decreased HDL-cholesterol concentrations by 0.04mmol/L (95% CI, −0.07 to −0.01mmol/L; P=0.021) and apo A-1 concentrations by 0.04g/L (95% CI, −0.07 to −0.01g/L; P=0.016) compared with control. Serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apo B, triacylglycerols, non-esterified fatty acids, glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were unchanged.

Conclusion

We conclude that in overweight and obese subjects, daily intake of low-fat dairy products for 8 weeks decreased systolic blood pressure, but did not improve other metabolic risk factors related to the metabolic syndrome.

Department of Human Biology, Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands

Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +31 43 388 13 13; fax: +31 43 367 09 76.

PII: S0939-4753(09)00254-3

doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2009.10.008