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.

South Asians, who are at a disproportionately greater risk of atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD), represent a rapidly growing population in the USA. The relationship between dairy products, a major component of South Asian diets, and body composition - an established risk factor for ASCVD, is unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine associations between dairy intake and multiple measures of body composition (BMI, waist and hip circumference, waist:hip ratio, abdominal lean mass, subcutaneous, visceral, and intermuscular fat areas) among South Asian adults in the USA. A baseline analysis was conducted using existing data from the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America cohort. In women, the highest (>1·9 servings/d) v. lowest (<1 serving/d) tertile of dairy intake was associated with 53 % lower odds of a waist circumference >80 cm (95 % CI 0·25, 0·89, Pfor trend<0·05). No associations were observed between dairy intake and measures of body composition. However, >3 servings of low-fat yogurt/week was associated with a 9·9 cm2 lower visceral fat area (95 % CI -19·07, -0·72, P<0·05) and 2·3 cm2 lower intermuscular fat area (95 % CI -3·76, -0·79, P<0·05) as compared with those with three servings/week. Milk and cheese were not associated with body composition measures. These analyses suggest that higher consumption of low-fat yogurt is associated with lower visceral and intermuscular fat in the whole sample, and women with higher dairy intake have lower waist circumference. Our study supports dietary incorporation of dairy products, and recognises the utility of multidimensional measures of central adiposity.

Stages of Change in Dairy Intake among Older Adults: Application of the Transtheoretical Model.

Adequate dairy product intake can reduce the risk of chronic disease, mortality, low quality of life, and healthcare expenditure. However, the insufficient consumption of dairy products is a serious issue in Eastern societies. To the authors' knowledge, few studies have explored dairy intake among Taiwanese older adults, especially using the transtheoretical model. The study aims were to address the following unknowns: (i) the distribution of dairy product intake behavior on stages of change (SOC); (ii) differences in variables (intake knowledge (IK), intake cons (IC), intake pros (IP), and intake self-efficacy (ISE)) among SOCs; (iii) discriminative abilities of variables on SOCs; and (iv) predictive ability of variables (IK, IC, IP, and ISE) for dairy product intake behavior on SOC for older adults. An explorative cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from northern Taiwan using a questionnaire. A total of 342 older adults were recruited. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance, discriminant analysis, and multiple linear regression. There was a significant difference between the variables and SOCs. There was a better discriminant among the five SOCs. Dairy product intake behaviors were significantly associated with knowledge and self-efficacy in the pre-action stage, and with cons, pros, and self-efficacy in the post-action stage. In conclusion, appropriate nutritional empowerment could benefit older adults by improving dairy intake among the different SOCs.

Dairy consumption is associated with lower plasma dihydroceramides in women from the D.E.S.I.R. cohort.

AIM: In the D.E.S.I.R. cohort, higher consumption of dairy products was associated with lower incidence of hyperglycaemia, and dihydroceramide concentrations were higher in those who progressed to diabetes. Our aim here was to study the relationships between dairy consumption and concentrations of dihydroceramides and ceramides. METHODS: In the D.E.S.I.R. cohort, men and women aged 30-65 years, volunteers from West-Central France, were included in a 9-year follow-up with examinations every 3 years, including food-frequency questionnaires. Two items concerned dairy products (cheese, other dairy products except cheese). At each examination, dihydroceramides and ceramides were determined by mass spectrometry in a cohort subset; in the present study, the 105 people who did not progress to type 2 diabetes were analyzed, as the disorder per se might be a confounding factor. RESULTS: Higher consumption of dairy products (except cheese) was associated with total plasma dihydroceramides during the follow-up, but only in women (P=0.01 for gender interaction). In fact, dihydroceramide levels were lower in women with high vs low consumption (P=0.03), and were significantly increased during follow-up (P=0.01) in low consumers only. There was also a trend for lower ceramides in women with high dairy (except cheese) intakes (P=0.08). Cheese was associated with dihydroceramide and ceramide changes during follow-up (P=0.04 for both), but no clear trend was evident in either low or high consumers. CONCLUSION: These results show that, in women, there is an inverse association between fresh dairy product consumption and predictive markers (dihydroceramides) of type 2 diabetes.

Relationship between dairy product intake during pregnancy and neonatal and maternal outcomes among Portuguese women.

BACKGROUND: The role played by dairy product intake during pregnancy on neonatal outcomes has raised interest in the last few years. However, studies on this association remain scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the association between dairy product consumption during pregnancy and neonatal and maternal outcomes. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted with 98 pregnant women, aged 18-40, from the city of Porto, Portugal. Socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics were assessed through a questionnaire. Dairy product consumption was assessed with a three-day food diary completed during the first and second trimesters. Postpartum medical records were examined for neonatal and maternal outcomes. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between dairy intake and neonatal and maternal outcomes, adjusting for dietary variables and maternal characteristics. RESULTS: Compared to the first trimester pregnant women had higher energy intake and lower calcium, iodine and yogurt intake in the second trimester (P<0.05). Total dairy and yogurt intake in the first trimester were positively associated with head circumference and placental weight (respectively ß=0.002, P=0.014, ß=0.333, P=0.012). Change in total dairy intake between the second and first trimester was negatively associated with maternal weight gain during pregnancy (ß=-0.007, P=0.020). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that dairy product intake during pregnancy may have an effect on neonatal head circumference, placental weight, and gestational weight gain.