Research shows that a dash of semi-skimmed milk in a cup of tea can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety

A dash of semi-skimmed milk per day in a cup of tea can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, research shows.

A major British study has found that those who regularly drink reduced fat milk are almost a third less likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and 16 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression, compared to people who don’t drink milk at all.

The protective effect of semi-skimmed milk is also greater than that of whole milk or skimmed milk.

But it’s bad news for vegans: Those who drink dairy alternatives, such as soy or oat milk, are actually more likely to develop anxiety or depression, the study found.

The researchers from the Southern Medical University in China said the results suggested there is something about the balance of fats in semi-skimmed milk that has a beneficial effect on the brain and increases levels of ‘feel-good’ hormones serotonin and dopamine.

A major British study has found that those who regularly drink reduced fat milk are almost a third less likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and 16 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression, compared to people who don’t drink milk at all.

The protective effect of semi-skimmed milk is also greater than that of whole milk or skimmed milk.

But it’s bad news for vegans: Those who drink dairy alternatives, such as soy or oat milk, are actually more likely to develop anxiety or depression, the study found.

The researchers from Southern Medical University in China said the results suggested there is something about the balance of fats in semi-skimmed milk that has a beneficial effect on the brain (Stock Image)

Writing in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, the researchers said: ‘The fatty acid profile of semi-skimmed milk may provide greater brain protection compared to whole milk and skimmed milk, potentially reducing the risk of both depression and anxiety.’

They added that the findings offered “new perspectives for nutritional interventions.”

The researchers looked at data from 357,568 people aged 36 to 73 who were followed for more than 13 years. During that time, 13,065 people were diagnosed with depression and 13,339 with anxiety.

Those who typically drank semi-skimmed milk – the best-selling milk in Britain – were 16 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to those who did not drink milk. And drinking semi-skimmed milk was associated with a 29 percent lower risk of anxiety.

In comparison, whole or whole milk was associated with a lower risk of anxiety, but not depression.

Those who said they drank non-dairy milk were more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression compared to those who drank any form of dairy milk and those who did not consume any at all.

The authors said: ‘To robustly establish these associations, further research is needed to validate this

these results and investigate the impact of the amount of milk consumed on mental health.’