People who consume a daily small serving of dairy have a lower risk of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Monash University in Australia found that increased dairy consumption meant lower risks of mortality from cardiovascular disease, especially stroke. Those who ate no dairy had higher blood pressure, higher body mass index and greater body fatness generally than other groups.

Cancer and cardiovascular disease are the leading causes of death among Taiwanese.

"In a dominantly Chinese food culture, unaccustomed to dairy foods, consuming them up to seven times ­ a week does not increase mortality and may have favorable effects on stroke," Emeritus Professor Mark Wahlqvist from Monash University's Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and the Monash Asia Institute said in a statement.

For the study, Wahlqvist collected and analyzed data from nearly 4,000 people in Taiwan.

Milk and other dairy foods are recognized as providing a broad spectrum of nutrients essential for human health. According to the study findings, people only need to eat small amounts to gain the benefits.

For optimal results, the key is daily consumption of dairy foods -- but at the rate of about five servings over a week. One serving is the equivalent to eight grams of protein: a cup of milk, or 45 grams of cheese.

Such quantities rarely cause trouble even for people considered to be lactose intolerant,

Wahlqvist said.

The study, which was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, also involved researchers from the National Health Research Institutes and National Defence Medical Center in Taiwan.