Low Milk Intake during College Days Poses Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

Avoiding milk during college days has a greater impact on health than what was previously thought.

Milk, rich in vitamins, proteins and calcium, plays an important role in a child's development.  According to a new study, failing to consume the recommended amount of milk during college days (three servings of dairy products every day) paves the way for metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders like obesity and high blood pressure that occurs together and increases the risk for coronary artery disease, diabetes and stroke.

For the study, a team of researchers from University of Illinois looked at more than 300 Mexican children, aged between 18 and 25. All the participants provided details about their milk intake through questionnaires. Later, they underwent tests to check the prevalence of the factors that predict the risk of developing metabolic syndrome later.

Apart from that, factors like sex, age, family history of the diseases and physical activity of the participants were also taken into consideration.  At the end of the study, researchers found that three-fourths of the youngsters who were not taking milk regularly displayed symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

However, the researchers couldn't fully explain the exact factors that led to this occurrence.

"It may be the calcium, it may be the proteins. Whatever the mechanism, evidence suggests that dairy products are effective in attaining and maintaining a healthy weight," Margarita Teran-Garcia, who was involved in the study, said in a news release.

While trying to find out whether the young generation's latest trend of consuming too many sugary drinks like soda or juice plays an important role, researchers found the participants consuming both the unhealthy drinks and the dairy products.

"We are concerned because persons in this age group don't visit the doctor often, and they may not know they have problems with their weight, blood pressure, lipids, or blood sugar," Teran-Garcia added.

Findings of the study have been published in Food and Nutrition Sciences.