Skip the Skim – Full Fat Dairy May be Healthier

Over the past couple of decades people have started to discover all the foods that promised to be healthier alternatives, including margarine, low fat and processed foods were no such thing.  And now skim milk may be the next “health” food getting a bad rap.  Dietary guidelines across the United States still recommend low-fat milk but new research is having health care professionals re-thinking this advice.

A new study, published in the journal Circulation, followed more than 3,000 adults over a period of 15 years and found that those who consumed full fat dairy were less likely to develop diabetes and weighed less than those who consumed low fat dairy products.  It is thought by researchers that when people reduce their fat intake, they tend to replace it with sugar or carbohydrates which both have a direct impact on insulin and diabetes risk.

The research was led by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian who believes that recommendations about fat content should be removed from dietary guidelines and we should start thinking about food as whole, rather than individual nutrients.

While more study in needed to determine why full fat daily may help to regulate diabetes, it is suggested that those who eat more high fat dairy feel fuller and don’t crave sugary foods.  The fats may also help break down sugar from food and in the case of fermented dairy such as cheese, microbes may help insulin response.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 11 million Americans over the age of 65 have diabetes.  The risk for type 2 diabetes increases with age which can also increase the risk for specific complications including neuropathy (numbness in the feet), kidney disease, high blood pressure, stroke as well as skin and eye disorders.  Obesity is also a top risk factor for type 2 diabetes in addition to heart disease and stroke.

For more information about seniors living with diabetes visit the American Diabetes Association website at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/seniors/ .