title: Patterns of dairy food intake, body composition and markers of metabolic health in Ireland: results from the National Adult Nutrition Survey.
abstract: Studies examining the association between dairy consumption and metabolic health have shown mixed results. This may be due, in part, to the use of different definitions of dairy, and to single types of dairy foods examined in isolation.
  
  
  
  The objective of the study was to examine associations between dairy food intake and metabolic health, identify patterns of dairy food consumption and determine whether dairy dietary patterns are associated with outcomes of metabolic health, in a cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  
  A 4-day food diary was used to assess food and beverage consumption, including dairy (defined as milk, cheese, yogurt, cream and butter) in free-living, healthy Irish adults aged 18-90 years (n=1500). Fasting blood samples (n=897) were collected, and anthropometric measurements taken. Differences in metabolic health markers across patterns and tertiles of dairy consumption were tested via analysis of covariance. Patterns of dairy food consumption, of different fat contents, were identified using cluster analysis.
  
  
  
  Higher (total) dairy was associated with lower body mass index, %body fat, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (P<0.001), and lower systolic (P=0.02) and diastolic (P<0.001) blood pressure. Similar trends were observed when milk and yogurt intakes were considered separately. Higher cheese consumption was associated with higher C-peptide (P<0.001). Dietary pattern analysis identified three patterns (clusters) of dairy consumption; 'Whole milk', 'Reduced fat milks and yogurt' and 'Butter and cream'. The 'Reduced fat milks and yogurt' cluster had the highest scores on a Healthy Eating Index, and lower-fat and saturated fat intakes, but greater triglyceride levels (P=0.028) and total cholesterol (P=0.015).
  
  
  
  Overall, these results suggest that while milk and yogurt consumption is associated with a favourable body phenotype, the blood lipid profiles are less favourable when eaten as part of a low-fat high-carbohydrate dietary pattern. More research is needed to better understand this association.
  
  
  
  Overall, these results suggest that although milk and yogurt consumption is associated with a favourable body phenotype, the blood lipid profiles are less favourable when eaten as part of a low-fat high-carbohydrate dietary pattern. More research is needed to better understand this association.
authors.affiliation: UCD Institute of Food and Health, Science Centre South, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.|Food for Health Ireland, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Feeney
authors.affiliation: UCD Institute of Food and Health, Science Centre South, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.affiliation: UCD Institute of Food and Health, Science Centre South, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.|Food for Health Ireland, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.affiliation: UCD Institute of Food and Health, Science Centre South, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.affiliation: School of Food & Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.affiliation: School of Food & Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.affiliation: UCD Institute of Food and Health, Science Centre South, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.|Food for Health Ireland, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Gibney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids