Associations of types of dairy consumption with adiposity: cross-sectional findings from over 12 000 adults in the Fenland Study, UK

Abstract

Evidence from randomised controlled trials supports beneficial effects of total dairy products on body weight, fat and lean mass, but evidence on associations of dairy types with distributions of body fat and lean mass is limited. We aimed to investigate associations of total and different types of dairy products with markers of adiposity, and body fat and lean mass distribution. We evaluated cross-sectional data from 12,065 adults aged 30 to 65 years recruited to the Fenland study between 2005 and 2015 in Cambridgeshire UK. Diet was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. We estimated regression coefficients (or % differences) and their 95% CI using multiple linear regression models. The median (interquartile range) of milk, yoghurt, and cheese consumption were 293 (146 - 439), 35.3 (8.8 – 71.8), and 14.6 (4.8 – 26.9) g/d, respectively. Low-fat dairy consumption was inversely associated with visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio estimated with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry [-2.58% (-3.91, -1.23%) per serving/day]. Habitual consumption per serving/day (200 g) of milk was associated with 0.33 (0.19, 0.46) kg higher lean mass. Other associations were not significant after false discovery correction. Our findings suggest that the influence of milk consumption on lean mass and of low-fat dairy consumption on fat mass distribution may be potential pathways for the link between dairy consumption and metabolic risk. Our cross-sectional findings warrant further research in prospective and experimental studies in diverse populations.

Association between dairy product intake and body composition among South Asian adults from the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study

“…Our findings may be explained by multiple possible mechanisms that underpin the dairy products and body composition connection. Dairy products are considered a rich source of protein, which helps promote lean body mass (31) ; low-fat and full-fat dairy products contain dietary fat, which can increase satiety (32) to help mitigate energy over-consumption (16) and supports the absorption of fat-soluble essential vitamins (33) ; and the carbohydrate from dairy products provide a modest amount of natural sugar that cells metabolise (34) and is hypothesised to support the fermentation process for healthy gut microbiota (35) . To this end, a recent longitudinal study found that fermented dairy products help to reduce central weight gain (36) , which is further supported by a randomised controlled trial finding probiotic yogurt decreased body fat percentage in overweight and obese adults (37) , possibly explained through reduced energy effects from macronutrients and influence of gastrointestinal hormones (38) .…”

Plasma Metabolites Related to the Consumption of Different Types of Dairy Products and Their Association with New‐Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Analyses in the Fenland and EPIC‐Norfolk Studies, United Kingdom

“…Recruitment via general practices and baseline assessment were carried out in Cambridge, Ely and Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. [ 9 , 10 ] The study was approved by the Cambridge Local Ethics Committee. All participants provided written informed consent.…”