Nutrition News
Calcium-Rich Dairy Foods May Help Reduce Stroke Risk
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan recently investigated the association between calcium intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke in Japanese men and women. They collected food intake data from more than 41,500 Japanese subjects ages 40 to 59, all without a history of heart disease or cancer.
Results indicated that subjects with higher calcium intakes had a lower risk of stroke. They also found that this link was particularly strong when calcium intake was from dairy food consumption. These findings suggest that calcium, especially from dairy foods, may provide a protective effect against stroke. The authors note that clinical trials are necessary to further confirm the beneficial effect of dairy foods for stroke prevention.
Umesawa M, et al. Dietary calcium intake and risks of stroke, its subtypes, and coronary heart disease in Japanese. Stroke 2008;39:1-8.