Dairy Fat Debate
Is butter back? Should you be adding cream to your coffee and eating full-fat yogurt? Studies have long supported the benefits of dairy for promoting health, including healthy bones and blood pressure, and helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. And newer research suggests that those benefits can come from a range of dairy products that includes fat-free, reduced fat, and whole fat dairy.
Whole Fat Dairy Science. Full-fat dairy has been on the “avoid or limit” list for years, because it contains saturated fat. However, nutrition researchers are taking a closer look at whether all types of saturated fat increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, or if it depends on which foods it comes “packaged” in.
“Whenever trying to narrow in on the health effects of certain foods, especially a food as complex and nutrient-dense as milk, it is hard to determine just what it is that is driving the effects,” says Mickey Rubin, PhD, vice president of nutrition research for the National Dairy Council. “Aside from the well-known nutrients in dairy, such as calcium and potassium, dairy fat alone is made up of hundreds of differ-ent types of fatty acids.”
Making Smart Dairy Choices
- If you enjoy full-fat dairy, stick to less processed forms, such as plain yogurt and natural cheese, and limit foods like ice cream and pizza, which often come packaged with excessive sugar and refined carbohydrates.
- If you love butter, use it sparingly where it adds the most flavor, but turn to more healthful fats for most of your culinary needs, like olive oil for cooking or avocado on toast.
- Consider full-fat dairy part of your overall saturated fat “budget” and follow the advice of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to keep saturated fat below 10 percent of total calories, or 20 grams for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Mario Kratz, PhD, MS, a faculty member and nutrition researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington in Seattle, coauthored a 2013 systematic review in the European Journal of Nutrition that concluded that evidence doesn’t support the idea that full-fat dairy con-tributes to risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes. Kratz says that some of the fats in milk—including some of the saturated fats—may have beneficial effects, either alone or together. “I think the data do suggest that there are differences between full-fat and low-fat dairy, and that full-fat dairy may be more beneficial,” he says.
Is Butter Really Back? What about butter, the full-fat dairy food that generates the most headlines? A study published in June with the provocative title, “Is butter back?” found that butter is neutral for health. In other words, a little may be fine, but a lot isn’t better, especially if it displaces fats with established health benefits, like olive oil. While butter may be better than the old trans fat-laden margarines, clinical trials show that it does raise blood cholesterol.
“Even if now we’re turning around the story a little bit, I think we shouldn’t go too far in the other direction,” Kratz says. “It’s not OK to eat limitless amounts of isolated fats such as butter just because research suggests that consuming a bit of dairy fat in the form of whole milk or cheese may not be such a bad thing.”
Low Fat Dairy, Lower Calories. Even though researchers are starting to look more closely at whole foods rather than isolated nutrients, it’s not yet clear why different saturated fat-rich foods might have differ-ent health effects. That’s one reason why, pending further research, many experts continue to recommend low-er-fat forms of dairy. Another is calories. One cup of nonfat Greek yogurt has about 135 calories, while it’s full-fat counterpart has about 215 calories.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends three cups of dairy per day; one cup translates as 8 ounces (oz) of milk, yogurt or soymilk, or 1.5 oz of natural cheese. Marian Neuhouser, PhD, RD, president of the American Society for Nutrition and a member of the most recent Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, says that current dairy intake is too low, and that lower-fat forms of dairy are the best ways to get the beneficial nutrients in dairy without exceeding calorie needs. “If someone chooses to use, say, full-fat milk in their latte, they need to decide where those calories are going to come from. Where are they going to take out the ex-tra calories?”
Alexandra Caspero, MA, RD, CLT, dietitian and owner of DelishKnowledge.com, says she doesn’t encourage people who prefer lower-fat dairy to switch to full fat, but that from a culinary perspective she prefers full-fat dairy for flavor, body and satisfaction. “With the full-fat versions, you typically end up using less and the taste can’t be beat.” In the end, it’s all about balancing your diet—for good health and taste.
—Carrie Dennett, MPH, RDN
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