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%.
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
narrative_reviewCited 377×
Read the paper This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →