Research

Macro partitioning

Dairy fat has a less adverse impact on cardiovascular disease risk compared to other animal fats (like meat), but it still increases CVD risk relative to unsaturated fatty acids.

Dairy fat (from cheese, butter, milk) is not as bad for your heart as fat from red meat, but it is still worse than unsaturated fats (like olive oil or fish). To protect your heart, limit high-fat dairy and replace it with unsaturated fats or whole grains. You don't need to eliminate dairy, but don't rely on it for heart health.

GoodQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
While dairy fat (milk, cheese) is associated with a slightly lower CVD risk compared to meat, dairy fat results in a significantly greater CVD risk relative to unsaturated fatty acids. When 5% of energy from dairy fat was replaced with an isocaloric amount of PUFA, risk of CHD was reduced by 26%... When 5% of energy from dairy fat was replaced with animal fat from non-dairy sources, risk of CHD increased by 6%.
Michelle A. Briggs et al. · Healthcare · 2017

Why this rating

Supported by large cohort studies (NHS, HPFS, EPIC) showing relative risks.

Source

Saturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease: Replacements for Saturated Fat to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk

Michelle A. Briggs et al. · Healthcare · 2017

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