“When it comes to weight gain, full-fat dairy may actually be better for you, the review found”. But the research is still early, experts warned.
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And in 2014, Swedish researchers found that people with the highest consumption of high-fat dairy products – eight or more a day – have a 23 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes than people who eat one portion or less per day.
After a 10-year follow-up, the results showed that those who ate a higher percentage of high-fat dairy foods were 8 percent less likely to become obese over time versus those who ate less full-fat dairy. They found people with higher levels of three different byproducts of full-fat dairy had, on average, a 46 percent lower risk of getting diabetes than those with lower levels. He argued that no “prospective human evidence” now supports the idea that people who eat low-fat dairy products fare better than their less health-concerned peers. After all, that’s what the US Dietary Guidelines and many health organizations recommend. A latte made with one cup of whole milk, for example, contains 4.6 grams of saturated fat – nearly a quarter of the daily total.
The study’s lead author Dr Ulrika Ericson, of Lund University Diabetes Centre in Malmo, Sweden, said: ‘Our observations may contribute to clarifying previous findings regarding dietary fats and their food sources in relation to type 2 diabetes.
The information on which the team based its research was provided by a survey conducted by the “Health Professionals Nurses’ Health Study”. Many people opt for low fat dairy products thinking that body fat could be brought under control.
“In the absence of any evidence for the superior effects of low fat dairy and some evidence that there may be better benefits of whole fat dairy products for diabetes, why are we recommending only low fat diary?” The authors of the diabetes and dairy study wrote, “Findings suggest that either… dairy fatty acids themselves or other correlated factors in dairy fat could reduce risk of diabetes”. The researchers found that people who said they ate the highest fat dairy products actually had an 8 percent lower risk of becoming overweight or obese than the people who ate low-fat products. There could be many mechanisms at play. If you’re already a dairy consumer, these and other studies suggest you don’t stress over eating the high-fat versions. Rautiainen told CBS News it’s a single observational study.
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‘These days I make a point of telling my patients – many of whom are coping with debilitating heart problems – to avoid anything bearing the label “low fat”,’ Dr Malhorta said.
