According to a study, dairy products in moderation are good for heart health | Society

Dairy products such as cheese and milk have a bad reputation because of the saturated fat content they contain, but a new large study suggests that they may actually protect them against heart disease and stroke.

The study was conducted mainly in low- and middle-income countries, where fewer dairy products are consumed, but the principal investigator believes the results are positive for rich countries that avoid dairy products, thinking that this benefits to their health. A moderate amount – three servings a day – can protect the heart rather than damage it, says Dr. Mahshid Dehghan of McMaster University, Canada.

"We encourage people who have a very low consumption of dairy products to increase their consumption," she told the Guardian. "Especially in low- and middle-income countries, but also in very high-income countries."

The concern over dairy products stems from the recognition that saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol levels that are related to heart disease. But, says Dehghan, dairy products also contain nutrients that are good for us, including specific amino acids, unsaturated fats, vitamins K1 and K2, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Rejecting the dairy in its entirety, says Dehghan, throws the baby with the bathwater.

Eating more than moderate amounts of dairy products, however, is not desirable either, say the authors. Overeating poses as many problems as undernutrition. Foods containing saturated fats are high in calories, which can result in obesity and serious health problems.

"We do not encourage people who consume six to seven servings a day to increase their consumption," said Dehghan. "The message of the study is moderation."

One serving would be a glass of 244 g of milk or yoghurt, a slice of 15 g of cheese or a teaspoon of butter.

The Pure study (Prospective on Urban and Rural Epidemics), published in the Lancet medical journal, has proven itself by involving more than 135,000 people in 21 countries around the world, from Canada and Sweden to Brazil, Bangladesh and Australia. Tanzania. Its weakness lies in the fact that it is based on food frequency questionnaires. Participants were asked to tell how often they ate different dairy products, which depends on a good reminder. To overcome this, the study placed its subjects in categories of high, medium and low consumption. He followed their health for about nine years.

He found that people who ate three servings of milk, cheese, or yogurt a day had lower rates of cardiovascular disease and lower mortality than those who consumed less. Butter was not considered protective, but most people ate so little butter that the effect was not significant, the article said. In many countries, low-fat dairy products were not widely available.

According to other authors, other studies have suggested that dairy products can be beneficial to one's health. In Sweden, there was no significant research showing that two or more servings of milk per day were associated with a 32% higher mortality risk.

"It should be noted that in Sweden, the intake of dairy products is significantly higher than that of the Pure study and is the third highest in the world," said the authors of the study. Lancet study.

Other scientists have agreed that there is growing evidence that dairy products have beneficial health effects in moderation. Dr. Sarah Berry, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition Sciences at King's College London, said the concerns about dairy products were the result of the traditional "reductionist and single nutrient, single biomarker" approach. It's important to have advice about the foods we eat, not about the individual nutrients we consume, she said.

Professor Ian Givens of the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health at the University of Reading has recognized the need for a diet-based approach. "The results confirm further evidence that" there is not a simple relationship between saturated fat intake and the risk of CVD [cardiovascular disease] the food vehicle supplying the fats can have a decisive influence. The results of this study suggest that saturated fats from whole milk, yogurt and hard cheeses have very little or no impact on CVD risk, "he said.

Professor Nita Forouhi of the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge said that the study "a common misconception that eating dairy is bad for heart health. "The key question of whether we should consume low fat or low fat dairy products is not really answered by this research because of the low intake of low fat dairy products in most countries except Europe. and in North America ". For now, the current guidelines should be followed, but the study would open the debate.

Public Health England said the UK guidelines would not change. "This study suggests that the consumption of dairy products may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in low- and middle-income countries, but this was not the case for those whose incomes were comparable to those in the United Kingdom," he said. said Dr. Alison Tedstone,

"Dairy products play a role in a healthy and balanced diet, but too many substances can lead to high levels of saturated fat and salt. British guide Eatwell recommends choosing less fatty foods to prevent heart disease.