Why choosing low-fat dairy is not necessarily better for your health

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that a new University of Toronto study is adding to evidence that low-fat dairy may not be healthier than full-fat versions. The article says the research, led by professor Harvey Anderson and published in The Journal of Nutrition, examined 74 adults with overweight or obesity between September 2020 and February 2023. Participants were assigned to diets that either limited dairy or included three servings of full-fat dairy a day.

According to the report, the study found no meaningful differences in body weight, body composition, energy metabolism, or blood lipid levels after 12 weeks between the low-dairy group and those eating three daily servings of dairy. Al Jazeera says the dairy groups also showed better calcium, protein and vitamin D intake, and some improvement in blood pressure, without signs of insulin resistance or harmful cholesterol changes.

The article places the findings in the context of decades of advice that linked full-fat dairy to obesity and heart risk because of saturated fat. It notes, however, that newer research has questioned whether dairy fat should be treated the same way as other saturated fats, and that food effects may depend on the broader “food matrix” rather than a single nutrient. Al Jazeera says the study could matter for public nutrition guidance in Canada and the United States, where low- or no-fat dairy has long been recommended as the default choice.