We have been used to our parents insisting on having us consume a glass of milk each day. But did you know that there’s a new study that claims drinking three glasses of milk a day could prevent a person from developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
According to US research held at the University of Kansas Medical Center, the milk consumption has an effect in the increased level of glutathione, a naturally-occurring antioxidant in the brain of healthy, older adults. This very strong antioxidant may lessen the destruction to brain cells against free radicals. This same antioxidant furthermore aids in balancing the oxidative stress in the body – identified to be linked with several diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Professor and chair of dietetics and nutrition, Debra Sullivan, said, “We have long thought of milk as being very important for your bones and very important for your muscles. This study suggests that it could be important for your brain as well.”
60 adults participated in the study wherein they were asked about their diets. Their levels of brain glutathione were monitored through high-tech brain scanning equipment. And the result as reported by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.…
Those who said they had drunk milk recently had more glutathione in their brains. And those who consumed around three glasses of milk per day produced the highest levels.
Associate professor of neurology Dr. In-Young Choi explained, “Antioxidants are a built-in defence system for our body to fight against this damage, and the levels of antioxidants in our brain can be regulated by various factors such as diseases and lifestyle choices.”
It was backed up with Dr. Sullivan stating, “You can basically think of this damage like the build up of rust on your car. If left alone for a long time, the build up increases and it can cause damaging effects. If we can find a way to fight this by instituting lifestyle changes including diet and exercise, it could have major implications for brain health.”