from Monash University
Among the predominantly Chinese food culture of Taiwan, cancer and cardiovascular disease are the leading causes of death. There is concern that dairy foods may be harmful to people in a culture that traditionally consumed little dairy. A long-term study from professor Mark Wahlqvist of Monash Unversity shows those concerns to be unfounded. He says increased dairy consumption meant lower risks of death from cardiovascular disease and no significant association with the risk of cancer. Among the four thousand people in the study, those who ate no dairy generally had higher blood pressure and greater body fat. Professor Wahlqvist says those who included modest amounts dairy in their diet were more likely to live longer than those who ate none. However, the study shows people only need to eat small amounts of dairy—about five servings per week to gain the benefits.