A UK study suggests that a handful of milk each day in a glass of tea may reduce the risk of depression and anxiety.
The study found that those who regularly consume low-fat milk are nearly a third less likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and 16 percent less likely to be depressed, compared to those who don't drink milk at all.
The protective effects of semi-skimmed milk are also greater than those of whole milk or skimmed milk.
But this is bad news for vegans – those who consume dairy alternatives, such as soy or wheat milk, are more likely to develop anxiety or depression, according to the study.
The researchers, from Southern Medical University in China, said the results suggest there is something in the balance of fats in semi-skimmed milk that has a beneficial effect on the brain and increases levels of "feel-good" hormones such as serotonin and dopamine.
"The fatty acid profile of semi-skimmed milk may offer greater cerebral protection compared to whole milk and skimmed milk, thus reducing the likelihood of developing depression and anxiety," writes the study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition - GazetaExpress reports.
They added that the findings presented “offer new opportunities for dietary interventions.”
Researchers looked at data on 357,568 people aged 36 to 73 who were monitored for more than 13 years. During that period, 13,065 were diagnosed with depression and 13,339 with anxiety.
Those who regularly drank semi-skimmed milk – the most widely sold milk in the UK – were 16 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to those who did not drink milk. And semi-skimmed milk consumption was linked to a 29 per cent lower risk of anxiety.
In comparison, whole milk was associated with a lower risk of anxiety, but not depression.
Those who said they drank non-dairy milk were more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression compared to those who consumed dairy milk and those who did not consume it at all.
"To establish these associations more strongly, further research is needed to verify these results and explore the impact of amounts of milk consumed on mental health," said the study author. /Express newspaper/
edition
t7 live
