What type of fat are dairy products high in

McCance and E. Sixth summary ed. Walstra et. Heck JM et al. J Dairy Sci, Own data FrieslandCampina, J Dairy Sci. Published: 23 December Was this article useful? Search for:. These questions are important to consider when reviewing scientific research on dairy foods. Lactose is the naturally occurring sugar found in milk and all dairy products. The body breaks down the sugar molecule and digests it with the help of an enzyme called lactase. Some people have low levels of lactase due to genetics, digestive problems, or gastrointestinal surgeries that interfere with its production.

Without lactase, the undigested lactose passes into the small intestine where bacteria ferment it, producing symptoms of gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation. Bone health The recommendations for dairy foods from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are based on short-term clinical trials that have shown that higher intakes of calcium result in small increases in bone mineral density.

A randomized controlled trial followed girls and boys between the ages of years for 18 months who had a lower dairy intake at baseline less than mg of calcium daily. It found no differences in bone mineral density in children who ate up to 3 servings versus 2 servings of dairy daily. A large cohort study following 96, men and women over 22 years did not find that greater intakes of milk during teenage years was associated with a lower risk of hip fractures later in life.

Part of this risk was related to a taller height, an independent risk factor for hip fractures. No association was found in teenage girls.

Based on large cohort studies, dairy foods appear protective from cardiovascular disease compared with similar servings of red meat or refined carbohydrates. However, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease is seen eating dairy foods in comparison with fish, nuts, or unsaturated fats. The results were similar with full-fat versus low-fat dairy.

A higher intake of saturated fat from dairy sources was not associated with death or CVD. The PURE study included primarily low-income and middle-income countries where refined carbohydrates are a greater part of the diet and dairy foods are less commonly eaten.

Therefore, in countries where food variety is more limited, adding a moderate amount of dairy may show a benefit with cardiovascular health if it replaces carbohydrate in the diet. Diabetes The evidence on dairy foods and their relation to type 2 diabetes mellitus T2DM is inconclusive. Weight It has been speculated that although full-fat dairy contains more calories and fat than reduced-fat dairy, full-fat versions may taste better and be more filling.

Cancer The fat in dairy foods contains estrogenic hormones that are associated with a higher risk of some hormone-related cancers. A prospective study of 68, women found that total dairy intake was associated with a greater risk of endometrial cancer among postmenopausal women who were not receiving hormone therapy, [19] a finding possibly related to the sex-hormone content of dairy products. There was little difference in risk between high-fat and low-fat dairy.

A meta-analysis found that high intakes of dairy products, milk, low-fat milk, cheese, and total, dietary, and dairy calcium, but not supplemental or nondairy calcium, may increase total prostate cancer risk.

According to the authors, the results suggest that other components of dairy foods rather than fat and calcium may increase prostate cancer risk. This is likely due, at least in part, to their high content of calcium.

Milk Research on milk and health often produces contrary findings. Some reasons may be the wide range of different nutritional qualities in milk and how milk intake is measured. Learn more about this popular beverage. Yogurt Did you know that references to yogurt and health date back to BCE?

Learn about the history and current research surrounding this fermented food. Cheese Countries around the world have experimented with cheese-making, varying the types of milk, how long the cheese is allowed to age and ripen, and using different additives like salt or acid to produce unique textures and flavors. References U. Department of Agriculture, U.

However, despite some dairy foods containing fat, they are not fattening. Regular or full fat milk has only 3. Reduced fat milk has 1. Skim milk has close to zero fat. The fat content in other dairy foods can be higher. BMC Public Health. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis ;— Marcone et al. Milk-derived bioactivepeptides and their health promoting effects: a potential role in atherosclerosis. Br J Clin Pharmacol. Intestinal short chain fatty acids and their link with diet and human health.

Rosqvist F et al. Potential role of milk fat globule membrane in modulating plasma lipoproteins, gene expression, and cholesterol metabolism in humans: a randomized study. Am J Clin Nutr. Imamura F et al. Fatty acid biomarkers of dairy fat consumption and incidence of type 2 diabetes: A pooled analysis of prospective cohort studies.

PLoS Med. Serum pentadecanoic acid , a short-term marker of dairy food intake, is inversely associated with incident type 2 diabetes and its underlying disorders. Ingestion of casein in a milk matrix modulates dietary protein digestion and absorption kinetics but does not modulate postprandial muscle protein synthesis in older men. J Nutr. Our monthly newsletter Get monthly updates about our newest expert-created content, upcoming webinars, and more.

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