Drinking milk could keep you slim
Scientists from Aarhus University are identifying substances and mechanisms in milk that might affect the body’s metabolism.
Recent studies have suggested that milk might have a slimming effect and a team of Danish researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen now think they’ve found the reason as to why.
The study shows that various compounds in milk activates the Fasting Induced Adipose Factor (FIAF) gene in the gut which influences how our bodies burn fat, writes Aarhus University in a press release.
It was especially the milk fat that contained the substances that affected the FIAF gene which means -- quite counterintuitively -- that fat-rich milk could actually be best for keeping the waist slim.
The results are based on experiments carried out on pigs. The effect on humans has also been studied but the results are still being analysed.
The pigs were split in two groups where one group would be served milk with their regular food. Pigs on the milk diet showed a higher activity in the FIAF gene.
Knowing more about the body’s fat metabolism could be relevant for the work with preventing obesity related diseases such as type-2 diabetes, metabolism diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.
The project is part of a collaboration between scientists from Aarhus University, University of Copenhagen, Göteborg University, and Ara Foods.
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Read the original story in Danish on Videnskab.dk
Translated by: Kristian Secher
