Monday, March 30, 2015

Milk protect you from Alzheimer?

I have introduced some topics about nutritional science in this blog. Unfortunately, some of them are doubtful.

My past entry: Questionable result in instant noodle
My past entry: Pizza is blamed as expected

Of course, there are many hypotheses relatively reliable. Even solid concept, however, can be denied by a new finding.

My past entry: The only way to maintain your body weight properly
My past entry: You can eat high cholesterol food

Today's topic is the effect of milk. According to this article, three glasses of milk prevent you from Alzheimer's disease. Wow!

The Telegraph: Three glasses of milk every day 'helps prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's'

The source of power in  milk to resist brain disease is eccentric. Debra Sullivan, a professor of the University of Kansas found that the glutathione level in the brain was higher in milk consumers than non-takers. Glutathione is well known as an antioxidant. Thus, high consumption of milk has an effect against oxidative stress.


Nowadays, oxidative stress is considered as a risk for several diseases. Recently, I performed a clinical research about antioxidative effect of sulforaphane in schizophrenic patients. Autism and some other mental illnesses are also suspected in terms of involvement of oxidative stress.

This article did not direct the research they conducted. I found one article published by Sullivan regarding glutathione in the brain.

Pubmed: Dairy intake is associated with brain glutathione concentration in older adults.

However, the glutathione level in the brain is correlated with daily intake, not limited to milk consumption, according to this article. Milk servings were also relevant to glutathione concentration. The authors suggested that dairy foods served as a resource for increasing glutathione.

This conclusion is ambiguous. Eating much prevents us from dementia, doesn't it? On the other hand, there are many hypotheses suggesting potential harm of excessive eating.

This is the limitation of an observational study, as the researchers said in the interview. However, it seems extremely difficult to conduct a randomized controlled trial, though they emphasized the necessity. The words "logical next step" they said express its impossibility.

After all, I dare not to take three glasses of milk every day. Instead, I will keep balanced meal in daily life.

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