The Milk Producer - February 2011 - (Page 54)

THEBACKFORTY By Sharon Laidlaw Disease-fighting tool Dairy fatty acid and whey protein in milk could help reduce diabetes and breast cancer risks A s scientists delve into the myriad ways milk benefits human health, .they’re discovering its various components can reduce your risk of contracting specific diseases. Two recent studies, for example, showed how milk can combat diabetes and cancer. U.S. researchers claim they’ve identified a fatty acid in dairy products that may reduce type 2 diabetes risk. Harvard School of Public Health researchers in Boston, Mass. studied more than 3,700 adults from 1992 to 2006. They found those with the highest blood levels of trans-palmitoleic dairy fatty acid were about 60 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes over the next 20 years than those with the lowest levels. “This represents an almost three-fold difference in the risk of developing diabetes among individuals with the highest blood levels of this fatty acid,” says lead author Dariush Mozaffarian in the Annals of Internal Medicine. He suggests the dairy fatty acid’s positive effect on diabetes risk may not be surprising. “We wonder whether this naturally occurring trans fatty acid in dairy fats may partly mimic the normal biologic role of its counterpart, cis-palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid produced in the body. In animal experiments, cis-palmitoleic acid protects against diabetes,” he says. Trans-palmitoleic acid is a natural fat, unlike trans-fats in many processed foods, like cookies, crackers and chips. Research has not linked natural trans-fats in dairy and meat to increased heart disease risk. On another note, a new study suggests lactoferrin, a milk whey protein, may help inhibit certain cancers. According to a study in the Journal of Dairy Science, Portuguese scientists treated human breast cancer cells grown in a lab with lactoferrin. They found whey protein decreased the cells’ viability by more than 50 per cent and cell growth by as much as 64 per cent. The researchers note additional studies are needed to establish lactoferrin as a potential tool to fight breast cancer. Other studies have shown lactoferrin helps strengthen the immune system and has antibiotic, antioxidant, antifungal and antiviral properties. Body builders also use milk whey proteins for their muscle-building benefits. 54 | February 2011 | MilkPRODUCER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - February 2011

The Milk Producer - February 2011
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
Industry Roundup
DFC Promotion
Issues Update
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Rearing Replacements
Calf Health
Markets
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - February 2011

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