A glass of milk can benefit bad hearts

HOUSTON, June 27 (UPI) -- Grabbing as little as one glass of low-fat or fat-free milk could help protect against poor kidney function linked to heart disease, U.S. researchers said.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that adults who had at least one serving of low-fat milk or milk products each day had 37 percent lower odds of poor kidney function linked to heart disease, compared to those who drank little or no low-fat milk.

To determine heart disease risk, researchers from several universities in the United States and Norway measured the kidney function of more than 5,000 older adults ages 45 to 84. They tracked eating patterns and tested albumin-to-creatinine ratio -- a measure that when too low, can indicate poor kidney function and an extremely high risk for cardiovascular disease.

The researchers found that people who reported consuming more low-fat milk and milk products had lower albumin-to-creatinine ratio, or healthier kidney function.

The study authors cited other research suggesting milk protein, vitamin D, magnesium and calcium may contribute to milk's potential heart health benefits.