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My immediate thought is, those who grab the 1% milk at the grocery store are more likely to make other healthy decisions as well. Can anyone comment on whether

My immediate thought is, those who grab the 1% milk at the grocery store are more likely to make other healthy decisions as well. Can anyone comment on whether the study adjusted for this?

jelliclesfarm 7y ago
I had the same thought. What other foods have an effect on telemores length? [..] Telomere length is positively associated with the consumption of legumes, nuts, seaweed, fruits, and 100% fruit juice, dairy products, and coffee, whereas it is inversely associated with consumption of alcohol, red meat, or processed meat.[..] And https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3463808/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3463808/ And https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3241941/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3241941/
fermenflo 7y ago
My immediate reaction as well. Seems like the perfect case of confounding. But after reading the paper, I saw this statement: > "High-fat milk consumers may have lifestyles that are less healthy than low-fat milk drinkers. Since this possibility was recognized before the onset of the investigation, statistical adjustments were made for a dozen potential confounders. Statistical analyses determined that these variables had little influence on the milk fat and telomere relationship. Nevertheless, other variables could explain some of the relationship between milk fat intake and telomere length identified in the present investigation." They didn't go into great detail as to what those confounders were, but it looks like they took that into account and isolated milk-fat percentage as well as they could. Source: https://new.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2019/1574021/ https://new.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2019/1574021/
- eej71 7y ago
  It sounds like one must still assume they correctly accounted for all confounders.
  - fermenflo 7y ago
    Exactly. As I said, they didn't reveal much of the process that "accounted for confounding" but I just wanted to dismiss everyone's initial reaction that this is just an obvious case of confounding. Perhaps it is. Perhaps it isn't. It just depends on how much you trust their methodology.
cdelsolar 7y ago
You're drinking 1%.. Is that 'cause you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to.

My immediate thought is, those who grab the 1% milk at the grocery store are more likely to make other healthy decisions as well. Can anyone comment on whether the study adjusted for this?

jelliclesfarm 7y ago

I had the same thought. What other foods have an effect on telemores length? [..] Telomere length is positively associated with the consumption of legumes, nuts, seaweed, fruits, and 100% fruit juice, dairy products, and coffee, whereas it is inversely associated with consumption of alcohol, red meat, or processed meat.[..] And https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3463808/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3463808/ And https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3241941/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3241941/

fermenflo 7y ago

My immediate reaction as well. Seems like the perfect case of confounding. But after reading the paper, I saw this statement: > "High-fat milk consumers may have lifestyles that are less healthy than low-fat milk drinkers. Since this possibility was recognized before the onset of the investigation, statistical adjustments were made for a dozen potential confounders. Statistical analyses determined that these variables had little influence on the milk fat and telomere relationship. Nevertheless, other variables could explain some of the relationship between milk fat intake and telomere length identified in the present investigation." They didn't go into great detail as to what those confounders were, but it looks like they took that into account and isolated milk-fat percentage as well as they could. Source: https://new.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2019/1574021/ https://new.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2019/1574021/

eej71 7y ago
It sounds like one must still assume they correctly accounted for all confounders.
- fermenflo 7y ago
  Exactly. As I said, they didn't reveal much of the process that "accounted for confounding" but I just wanted to dismiss everyone's initial reaction that this is just an obvious case of confounding. Perhaps it is. Perhaps it isn't. It just depends on how much you trust their methodology.

cdelsolar 7y ago

You're drinking 1%.. Is that 'cause you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to.