title: Childhood milk consumption is associated with better physical performance in old age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  studies have shown that milk and dairy consumption in adulthood have beneficial effects on health.
  
  
  METHODS
  we examined the impact of childhood and adult diet on physical performance at age 63-86 years. The Boyd Orr cohort (n = 405) is a 65-year prospective study of children who took part in a 1930's survey; the Caerphilly Prospective Study (CaPS; n = 1,195) provides data from mid-life to old age. We hypothesised that higher intakes of childhood and adult milk, calcium, protein, fat and energy would be associated with a better performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  in fully adjusted models, a standard deviation (SD) increase in natural log-transformed childhood milk intake was associated with 5% faster walking times from the get-up and go test in Boyd Orr (95% CI: 1 to 9) and 25% lower odds of poor balance (OR: 0.75; 0.55 to 1.02). Childhood calcium intake was positively associated with walking times (4% faster per SD; 0 to 8) and a higher protein intake was associated with lower odds of poor balance (OR: 0.71; 0.54 to 0.92). In adulthood, protein intake was positively associated with walking times (2% faster per SD; 1 to 3; Boyd Orr and CaPS pooled data).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  this is the first study to show positive associations of childhood milk intake with physical performance in old age.
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK. kate.birnie@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Birnie
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben-Shlomo
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gunnell
authors.forename: Shah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ebrahim
authors.forename: Antony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayer
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallacher
authors.forename: Jeff M P
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Holly
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004044:Dietary Proteins