A reappraisal of the impact of dairy foods and milk fat on cardiovascular disease risk

• Published in: European journal of nutrition Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 191 - 203
• Main Authors: German, J.B, Gibson, R.A, Krauss, R.M, Nestel, P, Lamarche, B, Staveren, W.A. van, Steijns, J.M, Groot, C.P.G.M. de, Lock, A.L, Destaillats, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg D. Steinkopff-Verlag 01.06.2009; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: administration & dosage; adverse effects; Aging; Aging - physiology; analysis; Biological and medical sciences; blood; blood lipids; blood-pressure; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - blood; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; commodity foods; coronary-heart-disease; dairy consumption; Dairy Products; Dairy Products - analysis; dietary fat; Dietary Fats; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats - adverse effects; dietary recommendations; epidemiology; fat intake; fatty acid composition; Feeding Behavior; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; healthy-men; heart diseases; high-density-lipoprotein; human health; Humans; intraparenchymal hemorrhage; ischemic-stroke; Lipids; Lipids - blood; Micronutrients; Micronutrients - administration & dosage; Micronutrients - analysis; milk; milk fat; Nutrition; Nutritional Requirements; physiology; prospective studies; randomized controlled-trials; Review; Risk Factors; saturated fat; saturated fatty acids; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; vitamin-d; Milk fat; Saturated fatty acid; Cardiovascular disease risk; Nutrition; Lipids; Cardiovascular disease; Food
• ISSN: 1436-6207; 1436-6215; 1436-6215
• DOI: 10.1007/s00394-009-0002-5

Background This review provides a reappraisal of the potential effects of dairy foods, including dairy fats, on cardiovascular disease (CVD)/coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Commodities and foods containing saturated fats are of particular focus as current public dietary recommendations are directed toward reducing the intake of saturated fats as a means to improve the overall health of the population. A conference of scientists from different perspectives of dietary fat and health was convened in order to consider the scientific basis for these recommendations. Aims This review and summary of the conference focus on four key areas related to the biology of dairy foods and fats and their potential impact on human health: (a) the effect of dairy foods on CVD in prospective cohort studies; (b) the impact of dairy fat on plasma lipid risk factors for CVD; (c) the effects of dairy fat on non-lipid risk factors for CVD; and (d) the role of dairy products as essential contributors of micronutrients in reference food patterns for the elderly. Conclusions Despite the contribution of dairy products to the saturated fatty acid composition of the diet, and given the diversity of dairy foods of widely differing composition, there is no clear evidence that dairy food consumption is consistently associated with a higher risk of CVD. Thus, recommendations to reduce dairy food consumption irrespective of the nature of the dairy product should be made with caution.