The study of 5 700 Scottish men aged 35 to 64 found that those who drank more than a 190 ml (two thirds of a glass) daily were eight per cent less likely to die from heart disease than those who drank less than that amount.

The risk of death from all causes, including cancer and stroke, was 10 per cent lower, researchers from the department of social medicine at the University of Bristol found.

According to researchers, there may be various reasons for the health benefits of milk:

• Milk consists of 3 % saturated fat. Other constituents of milk might act against the saturated fat and counter-balance the bad effects. "It may be that men who did not drink milk were replacing it with something else, such as butter or salty food.
• It is also possible that the men who drank more milk also drank more as children. "Children who drink milk grow more, and taller people have less heart disease."
• Those who drink more milk, have a healthier lifestyle than non-milk drinkers. People who drink a little milk were shorter, are more likely to drink alcohol and smoke and were from lower social groups than the milk drinkers.

Milk drinking was promoted in the Fifties, but 30 years ago the apparent risk of raised blood cholesterol levels from saturated fat brought a decrease in consumption. Dr Andy Ness and colleagues of Bristol said the study took into account that milk drinkers might have had healthier lives. He said: "It seems unlikely that milk drinking is hazardous but there may be various reasons why this is so." - (HealthScoutNews)

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