Washington: Drinking low-fat milk is associated with less ageing in adults, according to a new study which supports existing dietary guidelines which do not recommend high-fat milk as part of a healthy diet. The study assessed 5,834 US adults and found that people who drink low-fat milk experience biological ageing slower by several years than those who drink high-fat (2 per cent and whole) milk.
“It was surprising how strong the difference was. If you are going to drink high-fat milk, you should be aware that doing so is predictive of, or related to some significant consequences,” said Larry Tucker, study co-author. The researchers analysed the link between the length of the end of chromosomes — the coiled structure in which DNA is present in cell nucleus — milk intake frequency and fat content consumed.
According to the scientists, these chromosome ends, called telomeres, act like a biological clock, and they are correlated with age. Each time a cell replicates, they said, humans lose a tiny bit of these end caps. Hence older people have shorter telomeres, the researchers added. The more high-fat milk people drink, the shorter their telomeres are, according to the BYU study.
—PTI
