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Whole milk consumption linked to lower BMI, higher vitamin D levels in children
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Children who drank whole milk had lower BMI and higher vitamin D levels compared with children who drank low-fat or skim milk, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Several studies have suggested a relationship between higher milk fat consumption and lower risk of childhood obesity,” Jonathon L. Maguire, MD, MSc, a pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues wrote. “Further, adiposity and vitamin D stores are known to manifest in an inverse relationship between higher dietary fat consumption and vitamin D stores; however, the milk fat concentration that maximizes 25-hydroxyvitamin D and minimizes adiposity in children is currently unknown.”
To determine the correlation between milk fat percent consumption and 25-hydroxyvitamin D and BMI measurements in healthy preschoolers, Maguire and colleagues observed 2,745 children aged from 12 to 72 months who attended well-child visits between September 2008 and August 2014 in a cross-sectional study. Further, the researchers sought to assess how the volume of milk children drank affected the relationship between milk fat, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and adiposity.
Children were enrolled in the Applied Research Group for Kids (TARGet Kids!), a collaboration between children’s pediatricians and researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital and The Hospital for Sick Children and were recruited from 9 primary care clinics in Toronto. The researchers conducted a survey among study parents adapted from the Canadian Community Health Survey, measured all children’s height and weight for BMI measurements and collected blood to evaluate vitamin D levels.
Of the cohort, 49% drank whole milk, 35% drank 2% fat milk, 12% drank 1% fat milk and 4% drank skim milk. Analysis showed a positive correlation between milk fat percentage and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (P = .006) and a negative correlation between milk fat percentage and BMI z score (zBMI; P < .0001). Children who drank whole milk had a 5.4 nmol/L higher median 25-hydroxyvitamin D level (95% CI, 4.32-6.54) and 0.72 lower zBMI (95% CI, 0.68-0.76) compared with children who consumed 1% milk.
In addition, data indicated that children who consumed one cup of whole milk per day had similar levels of vitamin D to children who drank 3 cups of 1% fat milk (P = .003). The researchers speculate this could be because vitamin D is fat soluble, therefore milk higher in fat contains more vitamin D.
“Children who drink lower fat milk do not have less body fat, and they also do not benefit from the higher vitamin D levels in whole milk,” Maguire said in a press release.
“The findings indicated a need to closely examine existing nutritional guidelines around milk fat consumption to make sure they are having the desired effect,” Maguire said. “Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years while consumption of whole milk has halved over the same period. What kind of milk our children should be consuming is something we need to seek the right answer for.” – by Kate Sherrer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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