Have one or two servings of milk or yogurt daily
More than two daily dairy servings was associated with about 17% lower mortality than none.
What it takes
A few renminbi daily in China, with no extra time.
What you may gain
PURE followed about 136,000 people in 21 countries for an average of 9.1 years, recording 6,796 deaths. More than two daily servings of dairy versus none was associated with a mortality ratio of 0.83 (95% CI 0.72–0.96), or 17% lower risk; P for trend=0.0052.
Context & considerations
PURE included many lower- and middle-income countries, where daily dairy consumption can itself indicate greater wealth; that confounding is difficult to remove. If lactose intolerant, choose yogurt or low-lactose milk rather than forcing ordinary milk.
Research & references
Dehghan M, Mente A, Rangarajan S, et al. (2018). Association of dairy intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 21 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. Lancet, 392(10161), 2288-2297. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31812-9