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There is now more evidence that milk does the body — and heart –good.

European researchers have found that drinking more milk can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. A study of more than 400,000 adults worldwide found that those who drank the most milk had a 13% lower risk of heart disease and 17% lower chance of stroke than those who drank little or no milk.

Peter Elwood, a professor at the University of Cardiff, Wales, presented his findings during a National Dairy Council meeting in Dublin, Ireland. He stressed that the research was entirely independent and not funded by the dairy industry.

The study findings published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition were adjusted to discount other contributory factors to heart health, such as body weight, age, smoking and alcohol intake, according to Elwood.