Recent research has challenged the notion that all saturated fats, particularly from dairy products, are detrimental to health, as not all saturated fats are created equal. A higher intake of saturated fat from dairy products has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. In comparison, a higher meat intake has been associated with a higher risk of CVD in some studies. Full-fat dairy products may not increase the risk of obesity and could potentially benefit weight management in children and adolescents. The health effects of dairy products are complex and depend on the specific food sources and their fatty acid composition; further research is needed to develop proper dietary guidelines and recommendations.
SUMMARY OF ARTICLE
- Recent research has challenged the notion that all saturated fats, particularly from dairy products, are detrimental to health, as not all saturated fats are created equal.
- A higher intake of saturated fat from dairy products has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. In comparison, a higher meat intake has been associated with a higher risk of CVD in some studies.
- Full-fat dairy products may not increase the risk of obesity and could potentially benefit weight management in children and adolescents.
- The health effects of dairy products are complex and depend on the specific food sources and their fatty acid composition; further research is needed to develop proper dietary guidelines and recommendations.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF DAIRY FAT VS MEAT FAT
For decades, the consensus has been that saturated fats are the enemy of good health.
For many years, saturated fatty acids (SFA) have been implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to their ability to raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. (Mensink et al., 2003) A massive campaign was launched in the 80s to reduce all foods in saturated fat intake.
As full-fat dairy products are more saturated than unsaturated fat, it became apparent that drinking milk may be detrimental to cardiovascular health. Thus, it was proposed that skim milk, fat-free yogurt, and milk products be consumed when following a weight loss diet to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and obesity. This has led many people to be confused as to whether milk fat is good or bad for you for losing weight and reducing the risk of heart disease.
DAIRY FAT AND HEART DISEASE: IS DAIRY FAT BAD FOR YOU?
Leading health authorities recommended that high milk fat is bad for you. However, recent research has challenged the relationship between dairy fat and cholesterol, shedding light on the fact that not all saturated fats are created equal.
Some saturated fats, such as those found in dairy, may have beneficial effects on health and weight loss. (Lordan et al., 2018) A 2012 study found that replacing meat saturated fat with dairy saturated fat was associated with a 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). (de Oliveira Otto et al., 2012) The dairy fat health benefits of consuming full milk fat have become known as the dairy paradox.
But what about all the extra calories from dairy fat? Won’t it cause weight gain? A literature review concluded that consuming full-fat milk and dairy products did not increase obesity risk and might benefit weight management in children and adolescents. (Thorning et al., 2016) Thus, milk during a fat-loss phase can be used as a healthy, well-balanced diet.
DAIRY FAT HEART HEATH: IS MILK FAT HEALTHY OR NOT?
A literature review concluded that consuming full-fat milk and dairy products did not increase obesity risk and might benefit weight management in children and adolescents. (Thorning et al., 2016) Thus, milk during a fat-loss phase can be used as a healthy, well-balanced diet.Milk and dairy products are important nutrient-dense constituents of a healthy diet because they provide essential vitamins, minerals, macronutrients, and micronutrients for growth, development, and tissue maintenance. (Weaver, 2014)
As opposed to saturated fats from red meat, several meta-analyses have found no association between total dairy intake and heart disease risk and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. (Drouin-Chartier, Brassard, et al., 2016; Drouin-Chartier, Côté, et al., 2016) A 2017 study found an inverse association between cheese consumption and cardiovascular disease risk. (Chen et al., 2017)
So how is it that full-fat dairy can be cardioprotective? Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, are rich sources of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) that differ in carbon chain lengths. These include short-chain (C2-C6), medium-chain (C8-C12), and long-chain (C14-C18) fatty acids. The diverse fatty acid composition of dairy products contributes to the complexity of their health effects (Kratz et al., 2013).
ADDITIONAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO DAIRY FAT HEART HEALTH
In addition to the varying effects of different SFAs, dairy products contain other components that may contribute to their neutral or beneficial impact on cardiovascular health. Dairy contains phospholipids, milk proteins, calcium, and vitamin D, all positively affect heart disease. (Astrup et al., 2019; Bendsen et al., 2008)
One study found that diets high in calcium and dairy products, including full-fat dairy, were associated with lower body weight and fat levels. (Harvey-Berino et al., 2005) Another study found that increasing dietary calcium, including through full-fat dairy consumption, accelerated fat loss in obese adults undergoing caloric restriction. (Zemel et al., 2004)
LOW-FAT DAIRY VS FULL-FAT DAIRY: DEBUNKING THE HEALTH MYTH
Medical professionals have traditionally recommended consuming milk that is low-fat and non-fat dairy products over full-fat dairy products to the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, several meta-analyses and systematic reviews further cast doubt over the effect of SFA on heart disease outcomes, particularly the controversial PURE study.
The Study
The study assessed the dietary intake of 13,384 subjects from 18 countries across five continents for 7.4 years and studied the total fat and types of fat (i.e., milk, cheese, yogurt, and cheese). The groups were further analyzed into whole-and low-fat dairy. Butter and cream were not included in the study of total dairy and whole-fat dairy groups.
Results
The results showed that greater dairy intake was not associated with CVD, myocardial infarction, or CVD mortality.(Givens, 2017) Full-fat products had a particularly strong association with this. Individuals who consumed more than two servings per day had a 22% lower risk of major cardiovascular events and a 25% lower risk of stroke compared to those who consumed less than half a serving per day.
On the other hand, there was no significant association between low-fat dairy consumption and a reduced risk of total mortality or major cardiovascular events. Additionally, the study discovered that replacing low-fat with full-fat dairy resulted in a lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular events.
Furthermore, a randomized controlled trial found that a high-dairy diet, including full-fat dairy, facilitated weight loss and body fat reduction in obese adults compared to a standard diet. (Thompson et al., 2005) In contrast to the greater weight loss expected by using low-fat products, several studies have found no significant difference in weight loss or body composition between low fat dairy and full-fat dairy consumption.(Alonso et al., 2009; Crichton et al., 2012)
Other Studies on Dairy
In another study, researchers examined the effects of milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter on cardiovascular disease risk factors. They discovered no significant association between total dairy product intake and the risk of major atherosclerotic CVDs. However, they observed that consuming cheese correlated with a lower risk of major CVDs, while consuming butter correlated with a higher risk. The findings imply that the relationship between dairy product consumption and major atherosclerotic CVDs might differ based on the specific dairy product consumed.
Full-fat products, such as whole milk, cheese, and yogurt, contain a higher proportion of short-chain (C2-C6), medium-chain (C8-C12), and long-chain (C14-C18) fatty acids than low-fat products. The diverse fatty acid composition of full-fat products contributes to the complexity of their health effects. (Kratz et al., 2013) Another potential explanation is that the higher fat content in full-fat products may increase satiety, reducing overall calorie intake. (Astrup, 2014)
Conclusion
It is essential to continue research in this area to better understand the complex relationship between dairy products, SFA, and health outcomes. This will enable the development of more accurate dietary guidelines and recommendations, helping individuals make informed decisions about their dairy consumption and overall diet to support their health and well-being.
REFERENCES
Alonso, A., Zozaya, C., Vázquez, Z., Alfredo Martínez, J., & Martínez-González, M. A. (2009). Low-fat versus whole-fat dairy product intake affects blood pressure and weight in young normotensive adults. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 22(4), 336-342. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-277X.2009.00967.x
Astrup, A. (2014). Yogurt and dairy product consumption to prevent cardiometabolic diseases: epidemiologic and experimental studies. Am J Clin Nutr, 99(5 Suppl), 1235s-1242s. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.073015
Astrup, A., Geiker, N. R. W., & Magkos, F. (2019). Effects of Full-Fat and Fermented Dairy Products on Cardiometabolic Disease: Food Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts. Advances in Nutrition, 10(5), 924S-930S. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz069
Bendsen, N. T., Hother, A. L., Jensen, S. K., Lorenzen, J. K., & Astrup, A. (2008). Effect of dairy calcium on fecal fat excretion: a randomized crossover trial. Int J Obes (Lond), 32(12), 1816-1824. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.173
Chen, G. C., Wang, Y., Tong, X., Szeto, I. M. Y., Smit, G., Li, Z. N., & Qin, L. Q. (2017). Cheese consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Eur J Nutr, 56(8), 2565-2575. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1292-z
Crichton, G. E., C Howe, P. R., Buckley, J. D., Coates, A. M., & Murphy, K. J. (2012). Dairy consumption and cardiometabolic health: outcomes of a 12-month crossover trial. Nutrition & Metabolism, 9(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-9-19
de Oliveira Otto, M. C., Mozaffarian, D., Kromhout, D., Bertoni, A. G., Sibley, C. T., Jacobs, D. R., Jr., & Nettleton, J. A. (2012). Dietary intake of saturated fat by food source and incident cardiovascular disease: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Am J Clin Nutr, 96(2), 397-404. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.037770
REFERENCES
Drouin-Chartier, J. P., Brassard, D., Tessier-Grenier, M., Côté, J. A., Labonté, M., Desroches, S., Couture, P., & Lamarche, B. (2016). Systematic Review of the Association between Dairy Product Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular-Related Clinical Outcomes. Adv Nutr, 7(6), 1026-1040. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.011403
Drouin-Chartier, J. P., Côté, J. A., Labonté, M., Brassard, D., Tessier-Grenier, M., Desroches, S., Couture, P., & Lamarche, B. (2016). Comprehensive Review of the Impact of Dairy Foods and Dairy Fat on Cardiometabolic Risk. Adv Nutr, 7(6), 1041-1051. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.011619
Givens, D. I. (2017). Saturated fats, dairy foods and health: A curious paradox? Nutrition Bulletin, 42(3), 274-282. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12283
Harvey-Berino, J., Gold, B. C., Lauber, R., & Starinski, A. (2005). The Impact of Calcium and Dairy Product Consumption on Weight Loss. Obesity Research, 13(10), 1720-1726. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2005.210
Kratz, M., Baars, T., & Guyenet, S. (2013). The relationship between high-fat dairy consumption and obesity, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease. Eur J Nutr, 52(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-012-0418-1
Lordan, R., Tsoupras, A., Mitra, B., & Zabetakis, I. (2018). Dairy Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: Do We Really Need to be Concerned? Foods, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7030029
REFERENCES
Mensink, R. P., Zock, P. L., Kester, A. D., & Katan, M. B. (2003). Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr, 77(5), 1146-1155. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/77.5.1146
Thompson, W. G., Holdman, N. R., Janzow, D. J., Slezak, J. M., Morris, K. L., & Zemel, M. B. (2005). Effect of Energy-Reduced Diets High in Dairy Products and Fiber on Weight Loss in Obese Adults. Obesity Research, 13(8), 1344-1353. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2005.163
Thorning, T. K., Raben, A., Tholstrup, T., Soedamah-Muthu, S. S., Givens, I., & Astrup, A. (2016). Milk and dairy products: good or bad for human health? An assessment of the totality of scientific evidence. Food Nutr Res, 60, 32527. https://doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v60.32527
Weaver, C. M. (2014). How sound is the science behind the dietary recommendations for dairy? Am J Clin Nutr, 99(5 Suppl), 1217s-1222s. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.073007
Zemel, M. B., Thompson, W., Milstead, A., Morris, K., & Campbell, P. (2004). Calcium and Dairy Acceleration of Weight and Fat Loss during Energy Restriction in Obese Adults. Obesity Research, 12(4), 582-590. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2004.67
About The Author
