Natural dairy fat not linked to higher diabetes or heart disease risk, study shows

A new analysis published in the journal Nutrition Research, led by Dr. Sophie Gayet‑Boyer and an international team of nutrition and cardiometabolic experts, examined 22 studies from Europe, Canada and the United States. The review found no clear association between consumption of natural dairy fats – found in milk, cheese, yogurt and other bovine products – and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke or type‑2 diabetes. In controlled clinical trials participants ate between 1.3 g and 13.2 g of these natural fats daily without any adverse changes in cholesterol or other blood‑lipid markers. The authors stress that these results do not imply that high‑fat diets are universally healthy; rather, the source of the fat matters, with industrially processed fats remaining linked to higher cardiometabolic risk. They call for further long‑term research but reaffirm current dietary guidance favoring a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and limited industrial fats.