Fat Free Milk, with Calcium, Vitamin D Foods Reduces High Blood Pressure Risk for Older Women

Vitamin D source Feb. 20, 2008 - Women who drank more fat free milk and had higher intakes of calcium and vitamin D from foods, and not supplements, tended to have a lower risk for developing hypertension or high blood pressure, according to a new study published in the American Heart Association journal, Hypertension.

After examining the diets of nearly 30,000 middle-aged and older women, Harvard researchers found that women who consumed more low-fat milk and milk products and had diets higher in calcium and vitamin D from foods were better protected against high blood pressure.

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When the researchers investigated the benefits of milk specifically, they found women who drank two or more servings of fat free milk each day reduced their risk for high blood pressure by up to10 percent compared to those who drank fat free milk less than once a month.

But it has to be “fat free” milk and the calcium and vitamin D cannot come from supplements, say the researchers.

One in three American adults has high blood pressure, and an increasing number of women are living with undiagnosed hypertension, according to a second study published in the journal Circulation.

Older Women May Prevent Some Weight Gain by taking Calcium Plus Vitamin D

May stimulate the breakdown of fat cells and suppress the development of new ones

May 14, 2007 - Postmenopausal women, age 50 to 79 in this study, who take calcium and vitamin D supplements may gain less weight than those who do not, although the overall effect is small, according to a report in the May 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The benefit is greater in those who had not previously been getting the daily recommended amount of calcium.

Read the story....

The last decade has seen significant increases in uncontrolled high blood pressure for women across the nation, a condition that puts them at serious risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and even kidney failure.

Yet despite a vast body of research linking diet changes to blood pressure control, most Americans are still missing the mark on their diets.

According to new research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Americans are ignoring the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet, the therapeutic eating plan recommended by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute that emphasizes low-fat dairy, fruits and vegetables to help reduce blood pressure levels.

Previous research has linked the DASH diet and lowfat or fat free milk to blood pressure benefits – one reason why the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend drinking three glasses of lowfat or fat free milk each day. Milk provides nine essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, protein and potassium.

Editor’s Notes:

“Too much vitamin D can make the intestines absorb too much calcium. This may cause high levels of calcium in the blood. High blood calcium can lead to calcium deposits in soft tissues such as the heart and lungs. This can reduce their ability to function.” - MedlinePlus

Senior Citizens May Not Get Calcium Needed Due to Confusing Food Labels

Consumers often don't get nutritional information they need due to confusion

Oct. 5, 2007 - Current food labeling leads to under-consumption of calcium, an important additive for senior citizens fighting against osteoporosis, and this is probably true for other nutrients, according to a new study. The problem can be improved, the researchers say, if consumers are taught to better translate the information on the food package label. Read more...

Vitamin D Foods

"There are only a few food sources of vitamin D. Good sources of vitamin D are fortified foods and beverages like milk, soy drinks, and margarine. Check the labels on these foods. Fish, liver, and egg yolk are the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D.

"If you do not eat vitamin D rich foods often, you may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Most multiple vitamin supplements contain vitamin D. Breastfed babies under 1 year of age need 400 IU of vitamin D from a supplement each day. People over 50 need extra vitamin D and should take 400 IU from a supplement each day." - British Columbia Ministry of Health

Calcium Foods

>> Click here for list of foods with calcium (Centers for Disease Control)

Sources: Wang L, Manson JE, Buring JE, Lee IM, Sesso HD. Dietary intake of dairy products, calcium, and vitamin D and the risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women.
Hypertension. 2008;51:1-7.

Mellen PB, Gao SK, Vitolins MZ, Goff DC. Deteriorating dietary habits among adults with hypertension: DASH dietary accordance, NHANES 1988-1994 and 1999-2004. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2008;168:308-314.

Ezzatti M, Oza S, Danaei G, Murray CJL. Trends and cardiovascular mortality effects of state-level blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension in the United States. Circulation. 2008;117:905-914.

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