Milk Increases Airflow For nearly a decade, researchers from the
International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood
(ISAAC), an Auckland, New Zealand-based group, have been
studying the diets of more than 700,000 children ages 6, 7, 13,
and 14 from 53 countries, including the U.S. One of their
conclusions, published in the European Respiratory Journal
earlier this year: Kids who got more calcium from food were less
likely to wheeze. And calcium-rich milk reduced asthma in Dr.
Seaton's study. Additional research from the University of
Nottingham in England suggests that calcium may account for only
part of milk's anti-asthma benefits -- its high magnesium
content may play a role. The scientists studied the diet and
measured the lung function of more than 2,600 adults. After
adjusting for risk factors like age and smoking, they found that
subjects whose magnesium intake was 100 milligrams (mg) above
the mean of 380 mg had significantly calmer lungs and better
airflow. While they haven't repeated the trial