Study links full-fat dairy with reduced heart attack risk

In yet another case of conventional medical wisdom being turned on its head, researchers at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) have completed a study showing that people who consume full-fat dairy may have a lower risk of heart attack.

“We found that people with the highest intake of full-fat dairy had 70 percent less chance of death by heart disease or stroke than those who had the lowest intake of full-fat dairy,” said study leader Dr Jolieke van der Pols from QIMR’s Cancer and Population Studies Group.

“It is possible that milk fat may contain nutrients that counteract the expected negative effects of the saturated fat in dairy products.”

QIMR scientists surveyed over 1,500 Australians about their dairy consumption during the past 16 years and concluded that total intake of dairy products appears unrelated to cardiovascular death, nor did there seem to be any correlation with increased risk of death due to cancer or death generally.

Dr van der Pols said that the findings are supported by a number of previous studies which have shown that certain fats in dairy may be protective for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The QIMR study is to be published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which is available online.