According to a latest study, countries that consume a lot of milk and milk-based products also have many Nobel laureates.

Previous research had shown that chocolate consumption was associated with the number of Nobel prizes won by the nation. Researchers in the present study assessed if milk, an ingredient used in certain varieties of chocolate could be contributing to this trend.

The data for the study came from the Food and Agriculture Organization (2007) on per capita milk consumption in more than 20 nations along with the information provided by the author who had conducted the chocolate and Nobel Prize study.

Study results showed that Sweden, with 340kg (749 pounds) of milk consumption per capita, has also the highest number of Nobel Prize winners per ten million of its population. But then, Sweden hosts the Nobel Committee and this might also play a role in the country receiving many Nobel Prizes.

However, Switzerland, with about 300kg (661 pounds) of milk consumption each year, has a similar record in the number of Nobel Prize winners per ten million people of the country.

China that consumes less milk than any other country included in the study also has the lowest number of Nobel Prize winners, according to a news release.

A possible explanation for the association between milk and Nobel Prizes might be that milk is good source for vitamin D and this may boost the brain power, according to a news release from British Medical Journal.

"So to improve your chances of winning Nobel prizes you should not only eat more chocolate but perhaps drink milk too: or strive for synergy with hot chocolate," concluded the authors.

The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.