Healthy Eating Advice Is Outdated: Dairy Is Good For The Heart

Healthy eating advice is outdated: dairy is good for the heart

A major new study has shown that whole milk products can reduce the risk of heart disease. These findings raise the question of whether current recommendations for healthy eating are fair.

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A major new study has shown that whole milk products can reduce the risk of heart disease. These findings raise the question of whether current recommendations for healthy eating are fair.

Whole, non-skim milk and milk products have become notorious for their saturated fat content, which carries a risk of atherosclerosis. Currently, it is recommended to consume low-fat dairy products to prevent heart disease.

The study, published in the Lancet, included data on 136,384 participants from 21 countries, followed over nine years.

Eating two or more servings of full fat dairy products was associated with a 22% reduction in the risk of heart disease. At the same time, the risk of stroke decreased by 34%, the probability of death from heart and vascular diseases - by 23%. A serving is a glass of milk or yogurt, a teaspoon of butter or a slice of cheese in 30 g.

The study took into account many factors, including age, gender, educational level, smoking, physical activity, consumption of fruits, vegetables, red meat and flour products.

Lead study author Mahshid Dehghan, a senior research fellow at the University in Hamilton in Ontario, said current nutritional guidelines are based on a claim that saturated fat is harmful, but dairy contains many other nutrients.

“We should not discourage people from eating dairy products, especially those who already consume little of them. If people eat less of them, they should be encouraged to do it more,”she says.