The nation’s health has been in decline for years and it was essential experts established the true role saturated fats from dairy could play in the diet, the Dairy Council’s and Dairy Co’s conference on saturated fat and cardiovascular disease in London heard last week (March 27).
Dr Anne Mullen, director of nutrition at the Dairy Council, said: “Current guidelines on saturated fat are not conclusive.
“In recent decades, science has progressed from when the guidelines were first instituted and therefore our understanding of saturated fat needs to move on too.”
National Health Service guidelines advised men to eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day and woman no more than 20g a day.
Low-fat dairy products
According to the government’s Eatwell plate, 15% of the diet should be made up of low-fat dairy products, which contain vitamins B2 and B12, among others.
However, the government’s advice was introduced in 1983 and was based on a major study from the period, which was criticised by scientists writing in the journal Open Heart earlier this year.
“Saturated fat is an umbrella term and there is growing evidence that fatty acids do not all behave the same when it comes to cardiovascular disease and diabetes in particular,” Mullen added.
Scientists will work together to develop a better understanding of the role saturated fat from dairy can play in the diet, Mullen added.
Cautioned consumers
In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a push away from saturated fats in the UK and US, as experts cautioned consumers that they were bad for heart health and could increase the onset of diabetes.
However, emerging research has suggested dairy fat reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Scientists at the conference also claimed that dairy proteins reduced hypertension, and that milk intake had no association with coronary heart disease or strokes.
Mullen added: “The nutrients in milk and dairy are integral to our diets for many reasons.
“Studies have indicated that they have a neutral or protective effect on cardiometabolic risk and the reasons are due to the nutritious nature of milk and dairy and the physical make-up of the foods.”
What research into dairy fats has suggested:
- Dairy foods appear to reduce the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
- Dairy proteins may have health effects, including reducing hypertension and arterial stiffness.
- A high dairy diet, compared to a low dairy diet, is associated with body weight loss and body fat loss, with lean mass gain.
- The effect of saturated fat from dairy on health may be blunted by a ‘membrane’ around milk globules, which affects the digestion, absorption and metabolism of dairy.
- Fatty acids, proteins and minerals in dairy may all contribute to the mechanisms through which milk and dairy foods have no detrimental effect on cardiometabolic health.