Consuming whole dairy products, previously thought to increase cardiovascular disease, has recently been shown to be protective.
- A global study challenges current beliefs about the deleterious health effects of consuming high-fat dairy products.
- Whole dairy products should be part of healthy eating recommendations according to researchers.
- A healthy diet can fight against chronic food-related diseases (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease).
Nutrition guidelines may soon change, especially with respect to whole dairy products.
Indeed, according to a study published in European Heart Journala diet composed of a greater amount of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish and whole dairy products is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease and mortality in all regions of the world, in particular in low-income countries where consumption of these foods is lower.
Whole dairy products can be part of a healthy diet
Until now it was advisable to avoid whole fat dairy products as part of a healthy diet. “Low-fat foods have taken center stage with the public, food industry and policymakers, with nutrition labels emphasizing the reduction of fat and saturated fat“said study author Dr Andrew Mente of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.
“Our results suggest that the priority should be to increase protective foods such as nuts (often avoided because they are too energy dense), fish and dairy products, rather than limiting dairy products (especially those made from raw materials). whole fats) to very small amounts.”
According to the researchers, consuming up to two servings a day of dairy products, mainly fat-based, can therefore be included in a healthy diet. “This is in line with modern nutritional science showing that dairy products, especially whole fats, can protect against high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.“, confirm the authors.
Healthy eating lowers the risk of diet-related chronic diseases
To reach this conclusion, they examined for nine years the relationships between the effects of a new diet (PURE) practiced by 147,642 people from the general population of 21 countries, and health outcomes. “A Healthy Eating Score was created based on six foods that have all been linked to longevity. The PURE diet includes two to three servings of fruit per day, two to three servings of vegetables per day, three to four servings of legumes per week, seven servings of nuts per week, two to three servings of fish per week, and fourteen servings of dairy products (mostly whole fat, but no butter or whipped cream) per week”, say the authors.
The mean diet score was 2.95. Compared to the least healthy diet (score of 1 or less), the healthiest diet (score of 5 or more) was linked to a 30% lower risk of death, an 18% lower probability of cardiovascular disease %, a 14% lower risk of myocardial infarction and a 19% lower risk of stroke.
The associations between healthy eating score and outcomes were further confirmed in five independent studies involving a total of 96,955 patients with cardiovascular disease in 70 countries.
This study is a reminder of the power of protective foods to help combat the burdens of diet-related chronic disease that are devastatingly increasing around the world, the researchers conclude.
