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Posted on Sep 18, 2013, 6 a.m.
Older women who consume milk, yogurt, and cheeses may be at less risk of falls and fall-related fractures.
Dairy foods are an abundant source of high quality proteins and calcium, for which previous studies suggest a beneficial effect on muscle mass. Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, from Sir Charles Gardner Hospital (Australia), and colleagues studied 1,456 women, ages 70 to 85 years, categorizing them by their frequency of consumption of milk, yogurt, and cheeses. Subjects self-reported falls for 3 months. The team found that those women who consumed more than 2.2 servings of dairy per day demonstrated “greater whole body lean mass and better physical performance.”
Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Kun Zhu, Joshua R. Lewis, Satvinder S. Dhaliwal, et al. “Association of Dairy Intake with Body Composition and Physical Function in Older Community-Dwelling Women.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 5 August 2013.