Why choosing low-fat dairy is not necessarily better for your health
For years, we thought low-fat dairy was the way to manage obesity. New research is increasingly questioning this logic. Low-fat dairy products may not be
For years, we thought low-fat dairy was the way to manage obesity. New research is increasingly questioning this logic. Low-fat dairy products may not be healthier than full-fat, researchers say, challenging decades of common knowledge linking full-fat dairy to weight gain and cardiovascular conditions. For decades, scientists and nutritionists preached switching to low-fat dairy to counter obesity and cholesterol, but new research suggests otherwise and goes a step further to indicate that, instead, a full-fat dairy serving could even offer some health benefits. Research by Harvey Anderson, professor at the University of Toronto, adds to growing evidence that full-fat dairy can be part of a healthy diet. The researchers found that eating three servings of full-fat dairy per day did not negatively affect body weight, body composition, energy metabolism, or blood lipid levels, as per a report published in The Journal of Nutrition. So, what did the research find and how? And does low-fat make any difference? What does the study show? The researchers at the University of Toronto assigned 74 adults with overweight or obesity to one of three dietary groups, studied between September 2020 and February 2023. One group followed a low-dairy, calorie-restricted diet; the second group followed an energy-neutral diet with three servings of dairy each day; the third group ate an unrestricted diet with three daily servings of dairy.
Those assigned to the dairy groups were supplied with full-fat dairy products during the study. After 12 weeks, researchers found no meaningful differences in weight gain, body composition, or cholesterol levels between people following the low-dairy diet and those eating three servings of dairy each day. The research cites food guides in Canada and the United States recommending three servings of low- or no-fat dairy a day for adults, noting that the countries are not recognising recent evidence that full-fat dairy may be beneficial. The study found that participants consuming more dairy showed improvements in blood pressure and better intake of calcium, protein and vitamin D. “Those that had three servings of dairy didn’t have adverse levels of blood cholesterol or lipids or evidence of insulin resistance,” Anderson told the ScienceDaily website. Why has full-fat dairy been frowned upon? The basic nutritional logic has been straightforward: whole-fat dairy contains substantial saturated fat, and saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol, known as “bad cholesterol”; therefore, cutting the fat content of dairy should reduce cardiovascular risk. Dietary guidance treated saturated fat as a major health risk and encouraged people to switch from whole milk and other full-fat dairy to low-fat or fat-free versions.
The BriefWire