Dairy Consumption and Its Link to Cardiovascular Risk

Classic epidemiologic studies, conducted generally in high-income countries, have associated saturated fat intake with coronary heart disease. Thus, dietary guidelines have long recommended minimizing dietary saturated fat, including whole-fat dairy products, which are high in saturated fats. To assess effects of dairy intake (milk, yogurt, and cheese, classified as whole fat or low fat) in a more diverse population, researchers analyzed food-frequency data from 136,384 adult participants in PURE, a large, 21-country, cohort study conducted from 2003 to mid-2018.

During 9 years of follow-up, higher total baseline dairy intake (>2 servings per day vs. none) was associated with a lower risk for the composite outcome of total mortality or major…