An Association between Milk Consumption and Serum Lipid Profiles of Postmenopausal Women in Korea

Lee, Sang Sun; Kim, Soon Lae; Kim, Sun Hee

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze an association between milk consumption and serum lipid profiles in postmenopausal women in Korea. The dietary data by the Food Frequency Questionnaire were evaluated among 208 postmenopausal women who did not receive hormone therapy and their serum concentrations of triglyceride (TG), total, HDL-, and LDL-cholesterol, and alkaline phosphatase were analyzed. When the relationship between milk consumption and serum lipid profiles were analysed by linear regression, we found a negative relationship of milk consumption with ALP and a positive relationship with HDL-cholesterol. Animal calcium intake was significantly correlated with ALP and HDL-cholesterol. In addition, the serum level of HDL-cholesterol of the upper quartile (UQ) subjects who took animal calcium over 313 mg/day was significantly higher than the lower quartile (LQ) subjects who consumed milk below 101 mg/day when we compared the UQ and LQ subjects. The HDL-cholesterol level of the UQ subjects who consumed 235 ml of milk tended to be higher than the that of the LQ who consumed 53 ml. As for serum concentrations of TG, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol, there was no significant difference between the UQ and LQ groups of milk consumption. Based on our study, we concluded that continual consumption of approximately one cup of milk per day was associated with low cardiovascular risks with favorable lipid profiles and ALP in postmenopausal women.