Increased dairy consumption differentially improves metabolic syndrome markers in male and female adults

Effects of dairy consumption on metabolic health and adiposity are inconsistent. Most clinical trials have investigated dairy intake, frequently during caloric restriction, in overweight or obese populations but not in a metabolic syndrome population. We investigated the effect of increased dairy intake without caloric restriction on anthropometrics, plasma lipids, and glucose in typically low-dairy consumers who met the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) metabolic syndrome criteria.

Male (n=14) and female (n=23) adults (54.1 ± 9.7 years) with metabolic syndrome were randomized to consume low-fat dairy (LFD) (10 oz of 1% milk, 6 oz of nonfat yogurt, 4 oz of 2% cheese) or carbohydrate control (CNT) (1.5-oz granola bar and 12 oz of 100% juice) foods for 6 weeks in a crossover study design. Anthropometrics, metabolic syndrome parameters, insulin resistance, and parathyroid hormone were measured. Body composition was analyzed by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan for a subset of subjects (n=22).

LFD modulated metabolic syndrome parameters differently according to gender. Following LFD, men had lower glucose (95.4 ± 9.1 vs. 98.9 ± 10.6 mg/dL, P=0.048), whereas women had lower body weight (BW), waist circumference, and body mass index (P<0.01) compared to CNT. Women also had lower energy intake following LFD compared to CNT. Increases in phosphorus (a dairy nutrient) were negatively correlated with decreases in BW (r=-0.537; P<0.01) and body fat in women (r=-0.593, P<0.025), whereas the decreases in energy intake had no correlation with anthropometrics.

Three dairy servings/day promoted small but significant improvements differentially by gender in a metabolic syndrome population.