The Main Points
- For years, people were told to avoid full-fat milk and cheese.
- A small study found that eating full-fat dairy did not cause weight gain or high cholesterol.
- The researchers say bigger and longer studies are needed.
People To Know
- Harvey Anderson — a nutrition professor at the University of Toronto
Words To Know
- Dairy — foods made from milk, like cheese, yogurt and butter
- Cholesterol — a fat in the blood. Too much can hurt the heart.
- Blood pressure — how hard blood pushes on the walls of your blood vessels
The Story
For many years, experts said to choose low-fat dairy.
They worried full-fat dairy was bad for the heart.
Researchers in Canada tested this.
They worked with 74 adults who were overweight.
The study lasted 12 weeks.
Some people ate very little dairy.
Others ate 3 servings of full-fat dairy every day.
The researchers looked at weight, body fat and cholesterol.
The dairy groups did not gain more weight.
Their cholesterol did not get worse.
Their blood pressure got a little better.
They also got more calcium, protein and vitamin D.
Harvey Anderson led the study.
He said, “Keep it simple, eat a variety of foods and not too much of anything.”
The study was small and short.
The researchers say it does not mean everyone should switch to full-fat dairy.
They say bigger studies are needed.
The study got some money from a dairy research group.
Where This Came From
We wrote this story in our own words, using facts reported by:
