New publications
Dairy products have a favorable effect on the arteries
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Adults whose diets contain dairy products may reduce arterial stiffness and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to scientists from the University of South Australia, the University of Maine (USA) and the Australian National University.
The researchers decided to investigate whether dairy consumption was associated with arterial stiffness parameters, including pulse pressure and femoral carotid artery pulse wave velocity. To do this, they analyzed data on 600 participants in the large-scale Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, which began in 1975 and lasted 35 years.
It was found that pulse wave velocity, pulse pressure, and systolic blood pressure decreased with increasing dairy consumption, independent of demographic and dietary variables and other cardiovascular risk factors. The lowest pulse wave velocity was found in those who ate milk and dairy products daily or up to six times a week.
The researchers found no link between dairy consumption and lipid levels. They also failed to determine which dairy product — milk, cheese, yogurt and dairy desserts, cream or ice cream — was effective in reducing pulse wave velocity. The scientists plan to conduct more work, including clinical trials: it is necessary to find out whether dairy products can be an acceptable way to prevent age-related arterial stiffness and cardiovascular diseases, and for which groups of patients this method is suitable.
[