Eating This Type Of Dairy Twice A Day May Lower Risk Of Diabetes & High Blood Pressure

A new study, published yesterday in British Medical Journals: Open Diabetes Research & Care, explored the relationship between dairy and health on a global level—and concluded that the secret to reaping the most health benefits may be full-fat dairy.

While previous studies have shown that higher intake of dairy is associated with a lower risk of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, this study expanded beyond those by including data from all over the world—not just Europe and North America.

Dairy was defined as milk, yogurt, yogurt drinks, cheese, and dishes prepared with dairy products, and it was noted whether they were full- or low-fat products. Because they're not common ingredients in some of the countries involved in the study, the researchers track butter and cream consumption separately.

In relation to cardiovascular disease, the researchers saw that those who consumed dairy, and, in particular, full-fat dairy, twice a day were less likely to experience symptoms of metabolic syndrome1, which include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess stomach fat, high blood fats, and abnormal cholesterol levels and is a risk factor for heart disease.

They found that two daily servings of any dairy product were linked to 24% lower risk of metabolic syndrome, while two daily servings of full-fat dairy, in particular, showed a 28% lower risk—both compared to no dairy at all.

While these results are exciting, the authors of the study were sure to point out that this was an observational study, meaning they can't say that the dairy is the definite cause of the lower risk.