Is low-fat milk better than whole milk for heart health?
A recent study of dairy products called into question the long-established belief that low-fat milk is better than whole milk for heart health. The review found that dairy consumption is a “neutral” cardiovascular disease risk irrespective of fat content—meaning that it does not raise the risk of heart attack or stroke more when compared with other foods.
But in order to evaluate whether dairy truly is neutral, it is important to consider what foods it is being compared to, Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, wrote in a September 8 Washington Post column.
He noted that large studies tend to compare dairy products with foods such as refined grains, red and processed meats, and sugary beverages. “Thus, a lack of association with cardiovascular disease, or being ‘neutral,’ simply means that dairy foods as a group are about as unhealthy as the mix of the other foods in the study population,” he wrote.
Other research has found that swapping dairy for sources of plant protein such as nuts or soy was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death, he wrote.
He offered advice for those who want to make dairy products part of a healthy diet:
- If you only have one serving a day of dairy, its fat content doesn’t make much difference for cardiovascular health.
- With low-fat dairy products, watch that fat calories are not being replaced with sugar and refined starch.
- Rather than consuming higher amounts of dairy for protein, emphasize plant sources of protein such as nuts or minimally sweetened soy milk.
Read the Washington Post column: Should you drink whole or low-fat milk? The answer might surprise you.
