You might not think there’s much difference between 1% and 2% milk, but new research may change what you pour over your cereal. A study from Brigham Young University shows drinking 2% milk and whole milk may add years of biological age to adults. It reveals that switching to reduced-fat milk could slow down aging and help you live longer.
The study analyzed the genes of close to 6,000 U.S. adults and it finds that every 1% increase in milk fat - as in drinking 2% over 1% - translates to more than four years in additional biological aging. Researchers believe the saturated fat in high-fat milk puts stress on our cells, which can cause damage and add to the death of tissues in the body. The study also finds that those who don’t drink any cow’s milk at all also aged quicker than skim milk drinkers.
“If you’re going to drink high-fat milk, you should be aware that doing so is predictive of or related to some significant consequences,” explains lead study author Larry Tucker. “It’s not a bad thing to drink milk. You should just be more aware of what type of milk you are drinking.”
Source: New York Post