New scientific research among dairy consumers finds that people with a higher intake of dairy fat can live healthily. The researchers have discovered thisFatty acids measured in the blood. Those who consumed high-fat dairy products had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, higher dairy fat intake was not associated with an increased risk of death.
How more milk fat can have a healthy effect on heart function
According to the study authors, a better understanding of the health effects of dairy fat is needed given increasing milk consumption worldwide. So they looked for a connection between their objective measurement of milk fat consumption, the risk of cardiovascular disease and death. However, instead of tracking the amount of dairy products consumed, the research team focused on blood levels of specific fatty acids. The scientists found that those with the highest levels actually had the lowest risk of heart problems. They followed the subjects for 16 years to see how many heart attacks, strokes and other serious circulatory disorders occurred. During this time, the team also investigated all possible causes of death. After statistically adjusting for other risk factors, people with the highest levels of these fatty acids had the lowest risk of death. These connections are very interesting, but the authors still need to better understand the full health effects of dairy fats and dairy products.
The new study results highlight the uncertainty of the evidence in this area, which is reflected in the dietary guidelines. Combining these results with 17 other studies from the US, Denmark and the UK confirmed the evidence in many populations. Much research has previously linked consumption of some dairy products, particularly fermented products, to heart benefits. Growing evidence also suggests that the health effects of dairy products depend on the type, such as cheese, yogurt, milk and butter, rather than the fat content. This raises doubts about whether avoiding dairy fat is healthy and could be beneficial for overall cardiovascular health. Furthermore laysthis studysuggests that reducing dairy fats or eliminating dairy products entirely may not be the best choice for heart health. Dairy products are rich in saturated fat, but also in many other nutrients. Therefore, they can be part of a healthy diet.
