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Is Whole-Fat Dairy Healthy?

  • Writer: FibonacciMD
    FibonacciMD
  • Apr 13
  • 6 min read

Updated: May 11

While nutrition guidelines once shunned whole-fat dairy, modern science suggests that the unique "food matrix" of full-fat dairy may actually support heart health.

Culinary Medicine

full fat dairy

Which type of dairy should you choose? For over 40 years nutrition guidelines have recommended that we choose low- or fat-free rather than whole-fat dairy products. However, the most recent guidelines advise us to include whole-fat, also known as “full-fat” dairy in our diets.  Why the change? It turns out that the hypothesis that low-fat dairy products are superior to full fat in terms of heart disease risk is not fully supported by scientific studies. [1] Experts now believe that whole-fat dairy products can be part of a healthy diet.[2] 


Why Was Whole-Fat Dairy Considered Unhealthy? 

Whole-fat dairy products are high in saturated fat and saturated fat intake is correlated with elevated blood cholesterol and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).[3]  These facts led to the assumption that full-fat dairy increases the risk of CVD and to the recommendation to consume low-fat dairy to reduce saturated fat intake and CVD risk. [4] However, many of the studies that supported the relationship between saturated fat and CVD looked at total saturated fat intake and not specifically at intake from dairy products. When dairy alone is examined, results suggest that despite its high saturated fat content, full-fat dairy foods, particularly milk, yogurt, and cheese, are not associated with an increased risk of CVD. [2, 5]


An Updated Understanding of Dairy and Health

For years, scientists focused on individual nutrients to assess the healthfulness of foods. However, we now recognize that nutrients don’t function in insolation. The combination of nutrients, other bioactive compounds, and structures in a food and how they interact, known as the food matrix, can be more important than the amount of any individual nutrient. [6,7] The food matrix influences the digestion, absorption, and physiological effects of nutrients and ultimately the health impact of a food.[2]


full fat dairy one part of healthy diet

The dairy matrix contains lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals.  It also contains bioactive compounds such as immunoglobulins, antibacterial peptides, and oligosaccharides and microstructures such as milk-fat globules. [6] 


Milk-fat globules are small droplets of lipids surrounded by a membrane of proteins and phospholipids; their structure stabilizes the lipids in aqueous milk. Milk-fat globules act as a delivery system for transferring nutrients and bioactive compounds from one organism to another and are not found in other foods with similar nutrients.  [6] In the digestive tract milk-fat globules modulate the rate of lipid digestion, and when broken down, release bioactive compounds that have effects in the gastrointestinal tract and throughout the body at all stages of life. [6,8] In infants, components of the milk fat globule membranes help promote brain development, immune function, and gastrointestinal health.[9,10]  In adults, these membrane components improve the gut microbiota composition, decrease inflammation, and protect against dyslipidemia.[8] 


The dairy matrix, and in particular milk fat globules, may have a greater influence on heart health than saturated fat intake. This is supported by epidemiological and clinical studies that do not show an association between the fat content of dairy foods and CVD risk. [2]


Dairy is One Part of the Healthy Diet

While scientists now understand that full-fat dairy is not a significant contributor to CVD risk this does not mean that it is the key to health. Health is affected both by the type of dairy consumed and the overall diet.


There are good reasons to include dairy products in your diet but different product provide different health benefits. 11] Milk, yogurt, and cheese are good sources of many essential nutrients including protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, D, and B12. Full-fat milk, as well yogurt and cheese made from full-fat milk, all contain milk-fat globules, which provide cardioprotective properties. Cream and butter are made primarily from milk fat, so are much higher in saturated fat and calories than whole milk. Cream is the high-fat-layer that rises to the top of unhomogenized whole milk. It contains a high concentration of milk-fat globules but is much lower in protein, calcium, and many water-soluble nutrients than milk. Butter is made by churning cream, which breaks down the milk-fat globules, allowing the fat to clump together. Most of the milk-fat globule membranes as well as the protein, calcium, and other water-soluble nutrients are lost. [7,12] Low-fat and non-fat dairy products are produced by removing the fat from whole milk. This reduces the number of health-promoting milk-fat globules, but protein and water-soluble micronutrients are retained and vitamins A and D are restored through fortification.  Yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, and cheese are fermented dairy products; this processing adds probiotic bacteria and their digestive benefits to the matrix. 

 

Despite these benefits, dairy products are only one component of a balanced diet. A healthy diet includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy, seafood, legumes, and nuts. It limits, saturated fats from meats and butter and added sugars from sweetened foods and beverages. Following this dietary pattern promotes a nutrient-rich diet that can lower the risk of CVD and promote overall health. [2]


Bottom Line

Current scientific evidence supports moderate consumption of full-fat dairy products within a healthy dietary pattern. This is based on the theory that consuming saturated fat as part of the dairy matrix does not increase the risk of CVD. Include your favorite diary foods but make them part of a healthy dietary pattern.


Editor’s Note: Traditional thought would suggest that a significant drawback of whole-fat dairy is the extra calories leading to weight gain.  Because of its increased fat content, whole-fat dairy would be more caloric and would be counter-productive to any attempt at weight loss. However, more recent studies have shown that whole-fat dairy is not associated with weight gain and may actually promote satiety (due to its fat and protein content) which would actually help control overeating and reduce overall calorie intake. [13] This should be studied more.


References

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