The North American media The New York Times interviewed a group of specialists about the influence of full-fat dairy products on people’s health. “If health authorities such as the American Heart Association wave World Health Organization, the answer is clear: choose a fat-free or reduced-fat version. “This recommendation stems from the idea that whole milk products have high levels of saturated fat, so choosing reduced-fat versions reduces the risk of heart disease,” he said. Dariush Mozaffariancardiologist and professor of medicine at Tufts University.
But, also, the same academic pointed out that Those guidelines date back to 1980.when the first edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “Since then, most studies on the health effects of dairy fat have found no benefits in prioritizing reduced-fat versions over whole milk products,” he noted. Mozaffarian.
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According to the expert, in various studies in which people have been interviewed about their eating habits and their health has been monitored over many years, researchers have found a relationship between daily dairy consumption and a prevalence less of diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. “Apparently, more than the level of fat, what is important is what dairy product you choose,” determined the cardiologist.
The benefits of this type of consumption are present regardless of whether people chose reduced-fat or full-fat yogurt, cheese or milk. And although full-fat dairy products have more calories, studies have found that those who consume them are not more likely to gain weight.
In a study published in 2018, researchers followed 136,000 adults from 21 countries over nine years. They found that, during that study period, those who consumed two or more servings of dairy per day were 22 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 17 percent less likely to die than those who did not consume dairy at all. In addition, it was highlighted that those who consumed high levels of saturated fats derived from dairy products were not more likely to develop heart disease or die.
In another analysis, also published the same year, the researchers pooled the results of 16 studies involving more than 63,000 adults. According to the New York media, the study found that, over an average of nine years, those with higher levels of dairy fats in their blood were 29 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with lower levels. low. This finding suggests that it may be beneficial to consume dairy fats rather than avoid them.
“Of course, these studies do not show that dairy products by themselves reduce certain disease risks. “This would require long-term clinical trials, which have not been conducted,” Mozaffarian explained, concluding: “However, shorter-term trials have shown that consumption of dairy products, including full-fat dairy products, reduced participants’ blood pressure and did not increase weight or levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad cholesterol,” suggesting once again that dairy fats are not harmful to heart health.”
“There are several possible explanations for why dairy fats are not as harmful as previously thought, and why they may even be healthy,” he acknowledged. Ronald Kraussprofessor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. According to Krauss, among the different types of saturated fats found in foods, dairy products contain some that appear to be neutral or beneficial to health, including those linked to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.
“Milk fat is also naturally contained in a unique structure called the globular milk fat membrane,” he confirmed. Marie-Caroline Michalski, research director of National Institute for Agricultural, Food and Environmental Research of France and added: “The components of this structure help fix cholesterol in the digestive tract, which could improve blood cholesterol levels.”
Specialists agree that there are dairy products that are more recommended than others, yogurt and cheese They seem to be more associated with providing greater health benefits. This is because both are fermented foods that provide beneficial bacteria to the intestine. They also contain other molecules with beneficial properties produced during fermentation, such as vitamin K, related to heart health. Harder cheeses, such as Parmesan, also produce a more gradual absorption of fats into the blood than soft cheeses and butter, leaving you feeling fuller for longer.
“And although there is no good evidence that low-fat dairy products are a healthier option. “If you have high cholesterol, you should talk to your doctor about which dairy products you should choose,” concluded Krauss. Finally, Penny Kris-Etherton, Emeritus Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University, reported that an independent group of nutrition experts is currently reviewing the evidence on how saturated fat consumption influences the risk of cardiovascular disease. And he assured that this could generate changes in the recommendations for dairy foods in the United States.
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