A new study led by Professor Harvey Anderson at the University of Toronto challenges decades of dietary advice that low-fat dairy is healthier than full-fat. The research, published in The Journal of Nutrition, suggests that full-fat dairy can be part of a healthy diet without adverse effects on weight or cholesterol.

The study involved 74 adults with overweight or obesity, divided into three groups: one followed a low-dairy, calorie-restricted diet; the second consumed three servings of dairy daily in an energy-neutral diet; the third ate an unrestricted diet with three servings of dairy. Participants in the dairy groups were provided with full-fat products during the study period from September 2020 to February 2023.

After 12 weeks, researchers found no meaningful differences in weight gain, body composition, or cholesterol levels between the low-dairy group and those eating three servings of full-fat dairy. Interestingly, those consuming more dairy showed improvements in blood pressure and better intake of calcium, protein, and vitamin D.

Professor Anderson stated, 'Those that had three servings of dairy didn't have adverse levels of blood cholesterol or lipids or evidence of insulin resistance.' This contradicts the long-held belief that saturated fat in dairy raises cardiovascular risk.

The researchers point out that Canadian and US food guides still recommend three servings of low- or no-fat dairy per day, failing to recognize recent evidence supporting full-fat dairy. The study emphasizes the importance of the food matrix—how proteins, fats, and nutrients interact—rather than focusing solely on fat content.

A 2016 Harvard analysis of over 220,000 participants found that dairy fat was not associated with higher cardiovascular risk, but replacing it with polyunsaturated fats reduced risk by 24%. This new research adds to growing evidence that full-fat dairy may offer benefits, challenging the simplistic nutrient-based approach to dietary guidance.

Source: www.aljazeera.com