Is low-fat dairy actually better for you?

Currently, U.S. dietary guidelines, as well as health authorities such as the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization, recommend people consume fat-free or low-fat dairy products. Because full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fats, lower-fat versions may lower the risk of heart disease.

However, this guidance, which dates back to the 1980s, doesn't necessarily align with current research. According to Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Tufts University, most studies on the health effects of dairy fat have not found any benefits to consuming low-fat products over full-fat products.

For example, a 2018 study that followed 136,000 participants from 21 countries for nine years found that 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 did not consume any dairy. Notably, participants who consumed more saturated fat from dairy did not have an increased risk of heart disease or mortality.

In another study, which was also published in 2018, researchers analyzed data from over 63,000 adults across 16 studies and found that, over an average of nine years, participants who had higher levels of dairy fats in their blood were 29% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared to those with lower levels.

Shorter-term trials have also found that consuming dairy products, including full-fat dairy, helped reduce participants' blood pressure while not increasing their weight or LDL cholesterol levels. In general, many studies on dairy consumption and health have found benefits regardless of whether people consumed full-fat or low-fat products.

What nutritional experts recommend

Currently, an independent panel of nutrition experts is reviewing data on how saturated fat consumption impacts the risk of cardiovascular disease. Based on the panel's findings, dairy food recommendations in the United States could change.

For now, Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor emeritus of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University, recommends people eat three servings of dairy a day as part of a balanced diet. She noted that it's likely fine to have one or two of these servings be full-fat products, but any more could be too many calories.

According to Marie-Caroline Michalski, a research director at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, certain types of dairy products may be better for your health than others.

For example, yogurt and cheese seem to be most associated with health benefits. Both of these foods are fermented and may provide your gut with good bacteria. They also include other beneficial molecules such as vitamin K, which has been linked to heart health.

Harder cheeses, like cheddar and parmesan, may also be healthier than softer cheeses or butter. Harder cheeses may absorb fats more gradually in the blood, which can help you feel fuller for longer.

And while it's not clear if low-fat dairy products are healthier for everyone, it may be worth discussing your dairy choices with your doctor if you have high blood cholesterol since people will have different responses to different foods, said Ronald Krauss, a professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. (Callahan, New York Times, 12/8)

Writing for the New York Times, Sophie Egan surveyed some of the top nutrition experts in the country to identify — and debunk — 10 common nutrition myths about fat, plant-based protein, dairy, and more.