There may be more reason than ever to drink your milk and eat your fruits and vegetables. Experts say that high consumption of dairy products and fruits and vegetables may lower the risk of disability, especially among black women.

The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that black women who consumed the highest amounts of dairy products and fruits and vegetables – close to the amounts recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – had at least a 30 percent lower risk of disability than participants who consumed the lowest amounts of these foods.

And, among all participants, eating more of these foods was associated with lower risk for functional limitations, such as being unable to walk a quarter of a mile or climb 10 steps, that often precede disability.

“In general, there was an association between dairy, fruit and vegetable intake and functional limitations and disability,” said Denise Houston, Ph.D., a research associate at Wake Forest Baptist. “Getting the recommended number of servings of dairy, fruits and vegetables should be investigated for its potential to reduce the prevalence of disability in the aging population.”

“We know that obesity, lack of physical exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking are modifiable risk factors for disability, but little is known about the role of diet,” said Houston, a registered dietitian.

The median servings for study participants consuming the highest amounts of the foods were two servings of dairy, three servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables. In contrast, median servings for participants consuming the lowest amounts of the foods were less than half a serving of dairy and one or less serving of fruits and vegetables. Current dietary recommendations call for three cups a day of low-fat or fat-free dairy products, two cups (four servings) of fruit and two and a half cups (five servings) of vegetables.

Houston said there are several ways that the foods could affect disability risk. The calcium and vitamin D in dairy foods may decrease the risk of disability associated with osteoporosis and decreased muscle strength. The antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables may reduce the accumulation of oxidative damage in tissues, which could slow disability associated with aging and decrease the risk of chronic diseases that can lead to disability. 

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