New Research Questions Recommendations to Restrict High-Fat Dairy Products

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New Research Questions Recommendations to Restrict High-Fat Dairy Products

According to a recent study published in the European Heart Journal, a publication of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), there is no significant difference in adding or omitting red meat and whole grains from one’s diet.

This study covered 80 countries across densely populated continents.

The research found that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, full-fat dairy products, nuts, legumes, and fish were associated with a reduced risk of global cardiovascular disease (CVD) and early mortality.

The inclusion or exclusion of unprocessed red meat and whole grains did not significantly alter these results.

New Research Questions Recommendations to Restrict High-Fat Dairy Products

“Low-fat foods have become a focal point for the public, the food industry, and policymakers, with the emphasis on reducing fats and saturated fats,” said Dr. Andrew Mente, one of the study authors from McMaster University’s Population Health Research Institute in Canada.

“Our study results suggest that the primary focus should be on increasing protective foods like nuts (often avoided due to their high energy density), fish, and dairy, rather than severely limiting dairy, especially full-fat dairy, in very low quantities. Our findings suggest that up to two servings of dairy, primarily full-fat dairy, can be included in a healthy diet daily. This aligns with modern nutritional science indicating that dairy, particularly full-fat dairy, may help prevent hypertension and metabolic syndrome.”

The study examined the relationship between a novel diet score and global population health outcomes.

The Healthy Diet Score was created based on six foods associated with longevity. The PURE diet included daily consumption of 2-3 servings of fruits, 2-3 servings of vegetables, weekly consumption of 3-4 servings of legumes, 7 servings of nuts per week, 2-3 servings of fish per week, and 14 servings of dairy per week, mainly full-fat dairy, excluding butter or cream.

Scores higher than the median in this group were considered as 1 (healthy), and scores equal to or lower than the median were considered 0 (unhealthy), ranging from 0 to 6 points. Dr. Mente explained, “Participants in the top 50% of the population (achievable levels) scored 6 for each of the six food components.”

The PURE study tested the association of this score with mortality, heart attacks, strokes, and total CVD (including fatal CVD and non-fatal heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure) and included 147,642 individuals from 21 countries’ general populations.

Adjustments were made in the analysis for factors that could influence the relationship, such as age, gender, waist-to-hip ratio, education, income, urban or rural location, physical activity, smoking status, diabetes, use of statin or antihypertensive medications, and total energy intake.

The average diet score was 2.95. Over a median follow-up period of 9.3 years, 15,707 deaths and 40,764 cardiovascular events occurred.

Compared to the least healthy diets (scores of 1 or lower), the healthiest diets (scores of 5 or higher) were associated with a 30% reduced risk of mortality, an 18% reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease, a 14% lower risk of heart attacks, and a 19% lower risk of strokes. Five separate studies, involving 96,955 CVD patients in 70 countries, confirmed the association between the healthy diet score and outcomes.

Dr. Mente stated, “This is the most diverse nutrition and health outcome study in the world to date and the only one with sufficient representation of high, middle, and low-income countries. The link between the PURE diet and health outcomes was seen in general populations, people with cardiovascular disease, diabetics, and across different economic strata.”

“This association was most evident in regions with the poorest diet quality, including South Asia, China, and Africa, where calorie intake is lower and primarily composed of refined carbohydrates. This suggests that much of the world’s adult population may be suffering and dying from malnutrition, in the form of too little energy and protective foods, rather than from overnutrition. This challenges current beliefs,” said Professor Salim Yusuf, senior author and principal investigator of PURE.

Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, USA, in an accompanying editorial, stated, “The new findings from PURE, combined with prior reports, call for a reconsideration of stringent guidelines that advise against full-fat dairy.Investigations by Mente and colleagues remind us of the power of globally relevant diet-related chronic diseases, which continue to increase destructively, and the potential of protective foods to address this burden. It is now time for national dietary guidelines, private sector innovation, government tax policies and agricultural incentive measures, food procurement policies, labeling, and other regulatory priorities, as well as food-based healthcare interventions to catch up with the science. The lives of millions depend on it.”