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For decades, dietary guidance has encouraged consumers to choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products over full-fat options because of concerns about saturated fat and cardiovascular disease. But new research from the University of Toronto adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that full-fat dairy may not have the negative health effects once assumed
The findings, published in The Journal of Nutrition, followed 74 adults with overweight or obesity over a 12-week period. Researchers found that consuming three daily servings of full-fat dairy did not negatively affect body weight, body composition, cholesterol levels, or other key markers of metabolic health
Instead, participants who consumed more dairy experienced improvements in blood pressure while also increasing their intake of calcium, protein, and vitamin D
The randomized study assigned participants to one of three eating plans: a calorie-restricted, low-dairy diet; an energy-neutral diet that included three daily servings of full-fat dairy; or an unrestricted diet with three daily servings of full-fat dairy. All participants received nutrition counseling based on Canada’s Food Guide and were provided with full-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese throughout the study
After 12 weeks, researchers found no meaningful differences in weight gain, body composition, or cholesterol levels between those limiting dairy and those consuming three daily servings
“Those that had three servings of dairy didn’t have adverse levels of blood cholesterol or lipids or evidence of insulin resistance,” said Harvey Anderson, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine
The findings stand in contrast to long-standing dietary recommendations that emphasize limiting saturated fat intake through reduced-fat dairy products
According to the researchers, one possible explanation is what’s known as the “dairy matrix hypothesis.” Rather than evaluating nutrients like saturated fat in isolation, the hypothesis suggests the physical structure of dairy products changes how nutrients are digested and metabolized
“With dairy products, it’s got two proteins — casein and whey — that are bound together with fat and with nutrients mixed in,” said Anderson
Researchers say that complex structure may help explain why dairy products can produce different health outcomes than would be expected by looking only at their saturated fat content
The study also found participants consuming more dairy had higher intakes of nutrients that are commonly underconsumed, including calcium, protein, and vitamin D. Systolic blood pressure also improved among participants in the unrestricted full-fat dairy group
The researchers noted the findings may be particularly important for older adults, who often need more nutrient-dense foods while consuming fewer total calories
Anderson said dairy products can provide a familiarsk of diabetes or other chronic diseases
More broadly, the study reinforces the idea that nutrition research may need to focus more on whole foods than on individual nutrients
Faced with changing nutrition advice and conflicting dietary trends, Anderson offered simple guidance
“Keep it simple, eat a variety of foods and not too much of anything.”
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