Milk: does it affect blood pressure? A controlled intervention study

Authors:
  • MSM. VAN Schaik
    M. VAN Schaik
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Abstract
In a double‐blind trial, the effect on blood pressure of supplementation of normal milk (1180 mg Ca2+, 1650 mg K+ and 110 mg Mg2+ d−1) vs. ‘mineral‐poor’ milk (95 mg Ca2+, 580 mg K+ and 10 mg Mg2+ d−1) was studied. Young healthy normotensive female students consumed one of the two supplements while on a low calcium diet (< 500 mg Ca2+ d−1) for a period of 6 weeks. In both the normal milk‐ and ‘mineral‐poor’ milk‐supplemented groups systolic blood pressure decreased slightly. However, this decrease was persistently greater in the milk‐supplemented group. The individual mean systolic blood pressure change during normal milk treatment (‐4.1%) was significantly greater (P=0.03) than that during ‘mineral‐poor’ milk treatment (‐1.3%). An effect of normal milk supplementation on diastolic blood pressure could not be demonstrated. The results of the present study indicate a small hypotensive effect of milk consumption, which is attributable to its content of essential minerals.

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