Canadian Study Finds Full-Fat Dairy Safe for Adults

Researchers led by Professor Harvey Anderson at the University of Toronto conducted a 12‑week trial with 74 overweight adults, assigning participants to a low‑dairy diet, a calorie‑neutral diet with three servings of full‑fat dairy, or an unrestricted full‑fat dairy diet. The study showed that consuming three daily portions of full‑fat dairy did not increase body weight, alter body composition, or raise cholesterol levels compared with the low‑dairy group. Participants on full‑fat dairy also recorded lower blood pressure and higher intakes of calcium, protein and vitamin D.

The findings challenge existing dietary guidelines that favor low‑fat or skim dairy to reduce saturated fat intake. The researchers argue that the health effects of dairy fat should be evaluated within the whole food matrix, noting that low‑fat dairy may reduce HDL cholesterol, raise LDL cholesterol, and be linked to ovulation disturbances in women, while full‑fat dairy is associated with lower risk of metabolic syndrome, type‑2 diabetes and hypertension.