Newer studies suggest dairy fat isn’t so bad for your body
Scan the dairy case of any grocery store, and you’ll find rows upon rows of products with varying levels of fat. Nonfat, low-fat, whole: What’s the healthiest option?
If you consult U.S. dietary guidelines or health authorities such as the American Heart Association or the World Health Organization, the answer is clear: Choose a fat-free or low-fat version.
This recommendation stems from the idea that full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fats, so lower-fat versions can reduce your risk of heart disease, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Tufts University.
But that guidance goes back to 1980, when the first edition of the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans was published, he said. Since then, most studies on the health effects of dairy fat have failed to find any benefits of prioritizing low-fat versions over whole, Mozaffarian said.
What research suggests
In studies that surveyed people about their diets and then tracked them over many years, researchers have found associations between dairy consumption and lower risks of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, Mozaffarian said.
Such benefits, he added, were present regardless of whether people chose reduced-fat or full-fat products. And although full-fat dairy products are higher in calories, studies have found that those who consume them aren’t more likely to gain weight.
In one study published in 2018, for example, researchers followed 136,000 adults from 21 countries for nine years. Those who consumed two or more servings of dairy a day were 22% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 17% less likely to die than those who consumed no dairy. Those who consumed higher levels of saturated fat from dairy were not more likely to develop heart disease.
In another large analysis, also published in 2018, researchers pooled the results from 16 studies involving more than 63,000 adults. They found that, across an average of nine years, those who had higher levels of dairy fats in their blood were 29% less likely than those with lower levels to develop Type 2 diabetes.
This finding suggests that there may be a benefit to consuming dairy fat, Mozaffarian said.
The studies can’t prove that dairy products themselves reduce certain risks of disease, though. That would require long-term clinical trials, which haven’t been conducted, Mozaffarian said.
Why dairy fats could be good for you
There are several possible reasons for why dairy fats may not be as harmful as we thought — and may even be healthful, said Dr. Ronald Krauss, a professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
Among the kinds of saturated fats found in foods, dairy products contain types that appear to be beneficial for health, Krauss said, including those linked to reduced risks of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Milk fat is also naturally packaged in a structure called the milk fat globule membrane, said Marie-Caroline Michalski, a research director at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment. Parts of this structure can bind cholesterol in the digestive tract, potentially improving blood cholesterol levels.
Yogurt and cheese appear to be most associated with health benefits. This may be because both are fermented foods, which can supply good bacteria to your gut, Michalski said. Harder cheeses like cheddar and Parmesan also seem to result in a more gradual absorption of fats into the blood than softer cheeses and butter, which can help you feel fuller longer, Michalski said.