Type 2 diabetes affects around one million Australians, many of whom are overweight and unaware they have the condition . 

The new research, published in the journal Diabetes Care, found people with the highest intake of dairy calcium more than doubled their chance of achieving a weight loss of more than eight per cent, compared with those who ate the least dairy.

The researchers tracked 259 overweight diabetic people, aged between 30 and 65 years, for six months. Patients were put on a mixed glycaemic index diet, a low glycaemic index diet or a modified Mediterranean diet, each with the same number of calories.

The results were persuasive. Regardless of which diet they were assigned, patients with the highest dairy calcium intake lost 8.5 per cent of their weight in six months, compared with 7.5 per cent and 6.4 per cent in those with a medium and a low dairy intake, respectively. 

Although still uncertain of the mechanism, lead author Dr Danit Shahar, said the lower fat content, high calcium content, and the presence of bioactive compounds in lower-fat dairy foods, such as some proteins, may be responsible.

“While a difference of one or two per cent weight loss may not sound much, for overweight Type 2 diabetics it can be critical to better health,” said Dairy Australia dietitian Maree Garside.

Ms Garside added that milk and yogurt have a low glycaemic index, which resulted in a slow and flat rise and fall in blood sugar.  

Based in their findings, the Israeli scientists said a higher low-fat dairy intake among overweight Type 2 diabetics seemed highly appropriate for weight loss.

No association was found in this study between dairy calcium and other risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, such as waist measurement, blood pressure, and cholesterol; except for triglycerides (a blood fat) which improved on the higher dairy calcium diets.

ENDS
For more information or an interview, contact: Maree Garside, Dairy Australia dietitian on 0407 322 995 or (03) 9694 3837 or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Background Information:

• The prevalence of diabetes is estimated to be almost one million Australians aged 25 years and over, many of whom do not know they have the disease . The AusDiab 2005 study estimated that the number of new cases of diabetes among Australian adults was around 275 every day .

• The protein in dairy foods can help promote feelings of fullness, for longer – which may reduce the urge to eat again so quickly or decrease the amount consumed at the next meal. Milk and yogurt also have a low glycaemic index.