Regular fat dairy protects heart health

Most Australians fail to consume the dairy foods they need, and this shortfall could be affecting more than their bones. Drinking milk may help reduce a person's likelihood of facing death due to cardiovascular conditions like stroke and coronary heart disease, according to a new Australian study.¹

The 16-year follow up study looking at dairy food intake and mortality found that both full-fat and low-fat dairy foods were not associated with death from any cause.

Interestingly, the study showed that full-fat dairy was associated with less cardiovascular death. People who ate the most full-fat dairy had a 69% lower risk of cardiovascular death than those who ate the least when other factors were taken into account.

The authors suggested that while full fat dairy foods contribute to saturated fat intake there may be other fat components that counterbalance the expected negative effect.

Dairy Australia Dietitian Glenys Zucco says, "Contrary to popular belief, full-fat dairy, including milk and cheese, has never been convincingly linked to cardiovascular disease. In fact, it has rather consistently been linked to a lower risk, particularly for stroke."

The study was conducted by experts from the Queensland institute of Medical Research and looked at the health of 1,529 adult Australians whose habitual dietary intake was assessed on three occasions: at baseline in 1992, again in 1994 and in 1996. Usual intake of dairy food, calcium and vitamin D were calculated and compared with information from the National Death Index.

The results are consistent with a recent scientific review by Professor Peter Elwood which showed that milk drinkers have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who drink little or no milk, despite the fact that most of the milk consumed was regular fat milk.²

Dairy foods are naturally nutrient-rich and provide us with many essential nutrients such as high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. The Australian Dietary Guidelines encourage people to eat at least three serves of dairy foods (milk, cheese and yoghurt) each day.

References

Bonthuis M, Hughes MC, Ibiebele TI, Green AC, van der Pols JC. Dairy consumption and patterns of mortality of Australian adults. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010; 64(6): 569-77.
Elwood PC, Pickering JE, Givens DI, Gallacher JE. The consumption of milk and dairy foods and the incidence of vascular disease and diabetes: An overview of the evidence. Lipids. 2010 Apr 16 [Epub ahead of print].