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Reduced Cardiovascualr Risk with Whole Milk?

If you’re like me and have had escalating cholesterol readings throughout the years, you were probably told at one time or another to stop consuming fatty dairy foods like whole milk, butter, and cheese. The recommendation was either to go to low-fat or no-fat versions, or to forgo it altogether.

And if you’re following a semi-paleo diet as well (like I am), you probably don’t eat much – if any – dairy at all. Seems a recent study on dairy consumers has revelaed some interesting results.

The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition just published a paper titled “Dairy consumption and patterns of mortality of Australian adults“. It’s a 16 year study of of 1529 adult Australians aged 25–78 years to see if dairy consumption had any effect on mortality rates from heart disease and stroke. The results?

During an average follow-up time of 14.4 years, 177 participants died, including 61 deaths due to CVD and 58 deaths due to cancer. There was no consistent and significant association between total dairy intake and total or cause-specific mortality. However, compared with those with the lowest intake of full-fat dairy, participants with the highest intake (median intake 339 g/day) had reduced death due to CVD (HR: 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.12–0.79; P for trend=0.04) after adjustment for calcium intake and other confounders. Intakes of low-fat dairy, specific dairy foods, calcium and vitamin D showed no consistent associations.

No why would that be? A 2005 review on milk and cardiovascular disease in the EJCN stated:

The fat is where the vitamins A, K2, E and D are. The fat is where the medium-chain triglycerides, butyric acid and omega-3 fatty acids are. The fat is where the conjugated linoleic acid is.

In the Rotterdam study, high vitamin K2 intake was linked to a lower risk of fatal heart attack, aortic calcification and all-cause mortality. The expanded role of Vitamin D in cardiovascualr health is jsut now being investiagated.

So what does that mean? It means when it comes to whole fat dairy, drink (and eat) up – with the caveat of course: go for organic dairy from pasture fed cows.

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