A study conducted in the United Kingdom is the first to show a positive association of estimated childhood milk intake with physical performance in old age. The analysis examined the impact of childhood and later-life consumption of milk and milk products, calcium, protein, fat and energy on walking time and balance when participants were 63 to 86 years of age. Data was drawn from the Boyd Orr cohort, a 65-year prospective study of children who took part in a 1930s survey, and the Caerphilly Prospective Study (CaPS), which provided data on adults from midlife to old age.
In the Boyd Orr cohort, results showed that a standard deviation increase in childhood milk intake was associated with 5 percent faster walking times (9.2 vs. 9.7 seconds). A higher childhood calcium intake was associated with faster walking times, and a higher protein intake was associated with lower odds of poor balance. Higher protein intake in adulthood (using pooled data from Boyd Orr and CaPS) was associated with significantly faster walking times.
This observational data is interesting, but more research is needed. Of particular interest is how dairy's role in the development of healthy bones and muscle supports healthy aging
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